Performance Evaluation of a Bluetooth-Based WLAN Adopting a Polling Protocol under Realistic Channel Conditions

Even if Bluetooth has not been specifically designated for WLANs (Wireless Local Area Networks) and the interconnection of computers, the possibility of establishing low-cost wireless connections makes this technology attractive for this kind of context also. In this paper we assess, by means of a simulative approach that takes the complete physical and MAC level aspects into account, the performance of a Bluetooth-based WLAN adopting a roll-call polling protocol under realistic channel conditions, that is, in the presence of the typical impairments of indoor wireless communications (fading, etc); moreover, we propose an analytical formulation to derive the maximum throughput offered by a Bluetooth link and we suggest a call admission control technique based on the previous analytical considerations.