WiSlow: A Performance Troubleshooting Tool for Wi-Fi Networks

Today, it is common for a household to install a wireless Access Point (AP) for its home network. However, the increasing number of APs and wireless devices inevitably results in more contention and interference, which causes unsatisfactory Wi-Fi network performance. Furthermore, isolating the root causes of poor performance is nontrivial because the problem may be caused by collision with packets from other Wi-Fi devices using the same channel, i.e., channel contention or interference from non-Wi-Fi devices such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, and baby monitors. Since these devices and 802.11b/g operate on the same 2.4-GHz spectrum, they generate severe interference when they operate together [3]. Although these sources of problems can be easily removed in many cases (e.g., by relocating the baby monitor), it is difficult for technically non-savvy users to even notice the existence of channel contention or non-Wi-Fi interference. Instead, properly working routers or service providers are frequently misidentified as the culprit.