| Abstract: |
This paper presents an in-depth study of applying the bridging technology with
layer-3 forwarding (L3F) in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN). It is a unique
feature in Windows XP, and supports the Internet sharing of multiple
workstations with a single wireless interface. We perform detailed analysis of
the 802.11 protocol and discuss why L3F works over WLAN while the traditional
layer-2 forwarding (L2F) does not work in this configuration. We also present
the advantages of L3F over IP routing on WLAN. This paper also includes a
thorough performance analysis using a high capability traffic generator and
analyzer. Our results, as measured by throughput and latency, show that the L3F
performance is comparable to L2F and significantly better than IP routing. |