Performance Analysis of 3G+ Cellular Technologies with Mobile Clients

 

J.A. Esquerra-Soto*¹, J.A. Pérez-Díaz², I. Amezcua-Valdovinos³, C.F. García-Hernández⁴

 

^1,2,3 Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Cuernavaca, Autopista del Sol, km. 104 Col. Real del Puente, C.P. 62790 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. *juanalonso.es@gmail.com.

⁴ Instituto de Investigaciones Eléctricas, Reforma 113, Col. Palmira, C.P. 62490 Cuernavaca, Morelos, México.

 

Abstract

This work presents a performance evaluation of two of the most popular end-to-end third generation technologies. The technologies analyzed were EVDO Rev. A and HSDPA. Although these technologies are present around the world, most of the work based on these technologies is only simulation, being most of the real-case scenario investigations, internal carrier studies. We used a real-case scenario using TCP and UDP. We measured throughput, jitter and packet loss/discard as QoS performance parameters. We performed tests using both technologies concurrently with two identical computers at downlink and uplink at 0 km/h, 60 km/h and 90 km/h. These computers send/receive data to a static server host located in California. In general, we noticed that HSDPA and EVDO lose performance when speed increases. The most affected performance parameter was the throughput being most of the average values under 50 percent of the nominal throughput value. At downlink, HSDPA was the most speed increase sensitive technology and at uplink EVDO was the most speed sensitive. HSDPA at downlink goes from 32.9 percent of the nominal throughput value to 8.57 percent of nominal throughput value at 90 km/h. EVDO in the uplink goes from 17.11 percent of nominal throughput value to 6.79 percent of the nominal throughput value at 90 km/h.

Keywords: throughput, HSDPA, EVDO, jitter, packet loss, mobile clients.

 

Resumen

Este trabajo presenta una evaluación de desempeño de dos de las más populares tecnologías de tercera generación. Las tecnologías analizadas fueron EVDO Rev. A y HSDPA. Pese a que ambas tecnologías están presentes alrededor del mundo, la mayoría de trabajos de investigación basados en éstas son simulaciones, siendo estudios internos de las operadoras la mayoría de trabajos con escenarios reales. Medimos rendimiento, jitter y paquetes perdidos/descartados como parámetros usando los protocolos TCP y UDP. Realizamos pruebas utilizando ambas tecnologías de manera concurrente con dos computadoras idénticas en el sentido de subida/bajada a 0 km/h, 60 km/h y 90 km/h. En general, observamos que HSDPA y EVDO tienen una degradación de desempeño cuando la velocidad incrementa, siendo más afectado el rendimiento, obteniendo en la mayoría de pruebas valores menores al 50 por ciento del valor nominal. En el sentido de bajada, HSDPA fue la tecnología más sensible al incremento de la velocidad, siendo EVDO la más sensible en el sentido contrario. HSDPA en el sentido de bajada pasó de un 32.9 por ciento del valor nominal de rendimiento en reposo a un 8.57 por ciento a 90 km/h. Por otro lado EVDO en el sentido de subida pasó de un 17.11 por ciento del valor nominal a un 6.79 por ciento a 90 km/h.

 

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