A channel-access protocol to utilize multiple heterogeneous channels for ad hoc networks

We introduce a new approach to channel access for ad hoc networks that utilize multiple heterogeneous channels. The radios of the ad hoc networks we investigate are frequency-agile allowing them the ability to change their carrier frequency and transmission rate over a wide range of possibilities. Our approach to channel access takes advantage of the multiple frequency bands available to the network to increase network-layer performance. We have previously found that in some network scenarios, the best network-layer performance is achieved if the channel-access protocol always selects the channel with the fastest data rate that is immediately available. However, in other network scenarios it is preferable to always wait for a channel with a faster data rate that is temporarily unavailable to become available rather than select a channel with a slower data rate that is immediately available. We show that our new channel-access protocol is able to adapt the strategy for selecting channels so that high network-layer performance is maintained in all scenarios compared to channel-access protocols that utilize either fixed strategy.