MAC Constraints on the Distribution of 802.11 using Optical Fibre

Abstract

This paper explores the MAC-protocol performance of an IEEE 802.11 network that deploys radio over fibre technology to distribute radio frequency signals from a central location to remote antenna sites for nomadic users. Our analysis is based on the current DCF access scheme specifications using both the basic access method and the RTS/CTS access mechanism. The theoretical results show that the length of the fibre is constricted to a maximum limit in a standard system. However, with minimal changes to the parameters of IEEE 802.11 standard, this limit can be expanded