Simulation of 3G DCHs supporting TCP traffic: design, experiments and insights on parameter tuning

This paper describes a simulator of dedicated channels in 3G radio access networks, with TCP traffic. The design principles of this simulator and the experiments performed in it are explained in depth. We provide specific implementation details of RLC functions in OMNeT++. The main objective of the simulator is RLC parameter configuration. Although many previous works have addressed this issue, our approach is different and more general: we investigate how the conditions of the environment (channel data rate, frame error ratio, Doppler frequency, etc) affect the proper adjustment of each parameter. We disclose the interactions between these conditions and the functionalities of RLC, achieving a methodology for robust RLC configuration in terms of suitable operation under changes in the environment.