A Minimax Approach for Access Point Setup Optimization in IEEE 802.11n Wireless Networks

Recently, an IEEE 802.11n access point (AP) prevailed over the wireless local area network (WLAN) due to the high-speed data transmission using the multiple input multiple output (MIMO) technology. Unfortunately, the signal propagation from the 802.11n AP is not uniform in the circumferential and height directions because of the multiple antennas for MIMO. As a result, the data transmission speed between the AP and a host could be significantly affected by their relative setup conditions. In this paper, we propose a minimax approach for optimizing the 802.11n AP setup condition in terms of the angles and the height in an indoor environment using throughput measurements. First, we detect a bottleneck host that receives the weakest signal from the AP in the field using the throughput estimation model. To explore optimal values of parameters for this model, we adopt the versatile parameter optimization tool. Then, we optimize the AP setup by changing the angles and the height while measuring throughput. For evaluations, we verify the accuracy of the model using measurement results and confirm the throughput improvements for hosts in the field by our approach.