A deep-learning-based MAC for integrating channel access, rate adaptation, and channel switch

With increasing density and heterogeneity in unlicensed wireless networks, traditional MAC protocols, such as Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA) in Wi-Fi networks, are experiencing performance degradation. This is manifested in increased collisions and extended backoff times, leading to diminished spectrum efficiency and protocol coordination. Addressing these issues, this paper proposes a deep-learning-based MAC paradigm, dubbed DL-MAC, which leverages spectrum data readily available from energy detection modules in wireless devices to achieve the MAC functionalities of channel access, rate adaptation, and channel switch. First, we utilize DL-MAC to realize a joint design of channel access and rate adaptation. Subsequently, we integrate the capability of channel switching into DL-MAC, enhancing its functionality from single-channel to multi-channel operations. Specifically, the DL-MAC protocol incorporates a Deep Neural Network (DNN) for channel selection and a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) for the joint design of channel access and rate adaptation. We conducted real-world data collection within the 2.4 GHz frequency band to validate the effectiveness of DL-MAC. Experimental results demonstrate that DL-MAC exhibits significantly superior performance compared to traditional algorithms in both single and multi-channel environments, and also outperforms single-function designs. Additionally, the performance of DL-MAC remains robust, unaffected by channel switch overheads within the evaluation range.