Contention Window Optimization in IEEE 802.11ax Networks with Deep Reinforcement Learning

The proper setting of contention window (CW) values has a significant impact on the efficiency of Wi-Fi networks. Unfortunately, the standard method used by 802.11 networks is not scalable enough to maintain stable throughput for an increasing number of stations, despite 802.11ax being designed to improve Wi-Fi performance in dense scenarios. To this end we propose a new method of CW control which leverages deep reinforcement learning principles to learn the correct settings under different network conditions. Our method supports two trainable control algorithms, which, as we demonstrate through simulations, offer efficiency close to optimal while keeping computational cost low.