Queuing network models for delay analysis of multihop wireless ad hoc networks

In this paper we focus on characterizing the average end-to-end delay and maximum achievable per-node throughput in random access multihop wireless ad hoc networks with stationary nodes. We present an analytical model that takes into account the number of nodes, the random packet arrival process, the extent of locality of traffic, and the back off and collision avoidance mechanisms of random access MAC. We model random access multihop wireless networks as open G/G/1 queuing networks and use the diffusion approximation to evaluate closed form expressions for the average end-to-end delay. The mean service time of nodes is derived and used to obtain the maximum achievable per-node throughput. The analytical results obtained here from the queuing network analysis are discussed with regard to similarities and differences from the well established information-theoretic results on throughput and delay scaling laws in ad hoc networks. We perform extensive simulations and verify that the analytical results closely match the results obtained from simulations.