Survivability of IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN Against AP Failure

Abstract

In IEEE 802.11 WLAN, if an access-point fails, some or all the mobile stations connected to the network via the access-point may lose connectivity. In this paper, the problem of enhancing the survivability of IEEE 802.11 WLAN focusing on tolerating Access Point (AP) failures is addressed. In particular, focus on the problem of overcoming these APs failure working with reconfiguration of the remaining APs by changing parameters like the neighboring AP’s MAC address is done. This approach consists of two main phases: Design Phase and Fault Response. In Design phase, we deal with quantifying, placement and setting up of APs according to both area coverage and performance criteria. In Fault Response phase we consider the reconfiguration of the active APs in order to deal with AP fault in the service area.