Method and apparatus to inspect wireless traffic and mitigate packet elimination for wireless saturation avoidance

A method for controlling packet flow in a packet transmission network, comprising:

• determining at least one parameter representative of a degree of packet congestion on a channel of the packet transmission network;
• the channel having a saturation level, the saturation level being a function of packet arrival rate at a receiver on the channel and total throughput on the channel such that if there is a set of decrease in the packet arrival rate at each receiver that produces an increase in the total throughput the channel is at the saturation level of the channel;
• and
• the degree of packet congestion being a function of packet arrival rate at a receiver on the channel and total packet throughput on the channel;
• and
• wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of:
• a time delay between transmission starts of a station on a channel and termination of a previously transmitted packet from the station,
• a fraction of time the channel is busy with transmissions regardless of origin of the transmissions and whether packets were correctly transmitted and received, and
• an average number of packet transmission retries on the channel;
• and
• identifying a congestion level;
• and
• adjusting a flow of packets onto the channel of the packet transmission network in accordance with the at least one parameter based upon the congestion level.

A method for measuring a degree of packet congestion on a channel of a packet communication network, comprising:

• during a training mode:
• simulating a degree of packet congestion on the channel using a plurality of control factors and a plurality of variable factors;
• computing a plurality of measurable features of the packet communication network;
• and
• generating a mathematical relationship between the degree of packet congestion on the channel and the plurality of measurable features of the packet communication network over a plurality of network conditions;
• and
• during a subsequent normal operating mode, periodically measuring the plurality of measurable features and applying the generated mathematical relationship to the periodically measured plurality of measurable features to determine at least one parameter, the at least one parameter being an actual degree of congestion on the channel;
• and
• adjusting a flow of packets onto the network in accordance with the at least one parameter;
• and
• wherein the degree of congestion is a saturation level of the channel, the saturation level being a function of packet arrival rate at a receiver on the channel and total throughput on the channel, and the function is such that if there is a set of decrease in the packet arrival rate at each receiver that produces an increase in the total throughput, the channel is at the saturation level of the channel.