On the Use of Artificial Neural Networks to Predict the Quality of Wi-Fi Links

Abstract

One of the aspects that mainly characterize wireless networks is their apparent unpredictability. Although several attempts were made in the past years to define for them deterministic medium access techniques, for instance by having data exchanges scheduled by an access point, as a matter of fact they remain a partial solution and are unable to ensure the same behavior as wired infrastructures, since interference may also come from devices outside the network, which obey different rules. A possible way to cope with disturbance on air, both internal and external to the network, is to obtain some knowledge about it by analyzing what happened in the recent past. This information, usually expressed in terms of suitable metrics, is then employed to optimize network operation, for example by prioritizing time-sensitive traffic when needed. In the simplest approaches such metrics coincide with statistical indices evaluated on transmission outcomes, like the failure rate. In this paper we analyze a more sophisticated solution that relies on machine learning, and in particular on artificial neural networks, to predict the behavior of a Wi-Fi link in terms of its frame delivery ratio. Results confirm that more accurate predictions than simpler methods (e.g., moving average) are possible, even when training is partially independent from the specific conditions experienced on the different channels.INDEX TERMS Channel quality prediction, wireless networks, dependable wireless communication, IEEE 802.11, artificial neural networks, machine learning. I. INTRODUCTIONWireless networks are progressively replacing cables in a variety of contexts. In application fields like, e.g., home and car entertainment [1], [2], home automation [3], building automation [4], and sensing [5], their adoption to support wire-free communication (and hence, interaction) among humans and machines, in any combination (H2H, M2M, and H2M), is a popular ongoing trend and one of the main enablers of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) [6].Besides throughput, also the requirements about latency and dependability may sometimes be quite demanding. This is particularly true in contexts like modern industrialThe associate editor coordinating the review of this manuscript and approving it for publication was Wei Feng .