Study on Characteristics of Metric-aware Multipath Algorithms in Real Heterogeneous Networks

Multipath transmission is considered one of the promising solutions to improve wireless resource utilization where there are many kinds of heterogeneous networks around. Most scheduling algorithms rely on real-time network metrics, including delay, packet loss, and arrival rates, and achieve satisfying results in simulation or wired environments. However, the implicit premise of a scheduling algorithm may conflict with the characteristics of real heterogeneous wireless networks, which has been ignored before. This paper analyzes the real network metrics of three Chinese heterogeneous wireless networks under different transmission rates. To make the results more convincing, we conduct experiments in various scenarios, including different locations, different times of the day, different numbers of users, and different motion speeds. Further, we verify the suitability of a typical delay-aware multipath scheduling algorithm, Lowest Round Trip Time, in heterogeneous networks based on the actual data measured above. Finally, we conclude the characteristics of heterogeneous wireless networks, which need to be considered in a well-designed multipath scheduling algorithm.