Delay and Packet Loss in Radio Access Networks: A Fault Injection Approach

Dependability evaluation is relevant in the context of Radio Access Networks (RAN). Both packet loss and delays in delivering the messages are common problems that may impact the correct functioning of the network. This work presents the results of a series of experiments based on fault injection. Packet loss and delivery delays are present on 3G/4G radio access networks, wired broadband access networks and local area networks. The experiments evaluate the behavior of traffic flows focused on both fault types for each network environment. The results show that in broadband access and local area networks the times measured in the tests were consistent with the times configured for each delay. However the RAN scenario has a completely different result since the mean time obtained in all cases are not proportional to the delays injected in the traffic flow. Also, it is bigger, as expected, but it is up to 20 and 898 times bigger than in the wired broadband and local area connection respectively.