Abstract

The directional MAC (DMAC) protocol improves the spatial reuse, but directional packets on the control channel cause the deafness problem. In this paper, we propose a tone dual-channel DMAC protocol for mobile ad-hoc networks. In the proposed MAC protocol, the use of omnidirectional transmissions using an omnidirectional out-of-band tone solves the deafness problem and decrease packet collisions on the control channel. The use of an omnidirectional out-of-band tone also mitigates the hidden terminal problem. We use the negative CTS (NCTS) mechanism to solve the exposed terminal problem. The throughput performance of the proposed MAC protocol is confirmed by simulations using the Qualnet simulator.