Dynamic Wireless Network Selection for Connectivity Reliability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computing devices face issues with disrupted audio and connectivity when using WLAN due to weak signals, high latency, and RF interference, especially when moving between areas with varying network coverage, leading to suboptimal performance in executing multiple applications.
Innovation Solution
A daemon is employed to dynamically switch between WWAN and WLAN by performing ping and FTP throughput tests to determine the network adapter with the shortest response time or fastest throughput, prioritizing instant applications over non-instant ones to ensure reliable connectivity and better network quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the computing device uses WLAN by default, then connectivity is established, but audio disruption and connectivity issues occur due to weak signals, high latency, and RF interference
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between WLAN and WWAN network adapters based on real-time network conditions and application requirements. Instead of statically defaulting to WLAN, the computing device adapts its network selection in response to changing signal quality, latency, and application priority, thereby maintaining reliable connectivity while avoiding the harmful effects of weak WLAN signals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by selecting different network adapters (WLAN or WWAN) based on measured network conditions such as signal strength, latency, and throughput. This parameter change allows the device to optimize connectivity reliability by switching to WWAN when WLAN quality degrades, thus avoiding audio disruption and connectivity issues.
2Reliability
If the computing device switches to another network adapter to achieve higher quality, then network performance improves, but system complexity increases due to dynamic switching mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a background daemon that automatically monitors network conditions and performs dynamic network adapter switching without requiring user intervention. This self-service mechanism handles the complexity of network quality assessment and adapter selection internally, allowing the computing device to maintain high network quality while keeping the user interface simple and the overall system complexity manageable.
3Measurement precision
If the computing device performs network tests to determine the best adapter, then network selection accuracy improves, but time consumption increases due to ping and throughput tests
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary network tests (ping and throughput) to the least recently used (LRU) network adapter before switching networks. This preliminary action ensures accurate measurement of current network conditions while minimizing overall test time by strategically selecting which adapter to test first, thus balancing measurement precision with time efficiency.
4Productivity
If the computing device prioritizes instant applications, then application performance improves, but network resource allocation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different network quality requirements to different applications based on their priority classification. Instant applications (such as voice calls and messaging) are assigned higher priority and receive optimized network resources, while non-instant applications use standard network allocation. This local quality approach improves instant application performance without requiring complex overall network resource management.
Data Source
AI summary
Example implementations relate to dynamic wireless network selection. In some examples, a computing device may comprise a processing resource and a memory resource storing machine-readable instructions to determine a computing device is executing a number of applications, classify the number of applications, prioritize the number of applications based on the classification of the number of applications, determine at least one test from a plurality of tests to send to a network based on the prioritization of the applications, perform the at least one test from the plurality of tests, and determine a network adapter of the network to be used by the device based on the at least one test performed.