Optimizing RTS/CTS to Improve Throughput in Ad Hoc WLANs

IEEE 802.11 WLANs use carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) to initiate the Request to Send / Clear to Send (RTS/CTS) handshaking mechanism that solves the hidden node problem. However RTS/CTS also causes the exposed node problem where a node is unnecessarily prevented from accessing the wireless channel even when such access will not disrupt another nodes ongoing transmission. In this paper, we present continuing evaluation of a method for reducing exposed nodes in 802.11 ad hoc WLANs using asymmetric transmission ranges for RTS and CTS frames. NS-2 simulations show that the proposed method improves overall network throughput in a topology scenario of a 3-D network faced with ceiling/floor obstructions.