Performance models for wireless channels

Performance modeling of wireless access technologies is useful to understand their limitations in various operational conditions and find a way to improve their performance. In the past two decades a number of models have been proposed. These models are often more complicated compared to those developed for wired networks. The reason is that in wireless networks performance degradation is caused by both incorrect reception of channel symbols at the physical layer and queuing at higher layers. Various error control mechanisms used to hide the effect of error-prone channel behavior complicate performance analysis and often require restrictive assumptions to retain analytical tractability. The aim of this paper is to review performance evaluation models proposed for wireless channels, highlighting their basic ideas, shortcomings, and advantages. We consider models developed for both centralized and distributed access technologies. Potential applications and extensions are also discussed. We believe that this study may provide a starting point for those looking for a suitable modeling framework and allow time to be saved in developing new performance models.