  In wireless networks, node cooperation has been exploited as a data relaying
mechanism for decades. However, the wireless channel allows for much richer
interaction among nodes. In particular, Distributed Information SHaring (DISH)
represents a new improvement to multi-channel MAC protocol design by using a
cooperative element at the control plane. In this approach, nodes exchange
control information to make up for other nodes' insufficient knowledge about
the environment, and thereby aid in their decision making. To date, what is
lacking is a theoretical understanding of DISH. In this paper, we view
cooperation as a network resource and evaluate the availability of cooperation,
$p_{co}$. We first analyze $p_{co}$ in the context of a multi-channel multi-hop
wireless network, and then perform simulations which show that the analysis
accurately characterizes $p_{co}$ as a function of underlying network
parameters. Next, we investigate the correlation between $p_{co}$ and network
metrics such as collision rate, packet delay, and throughput. We find a
near-linear relationship between $p_{co}$ and the metrics, which suggests that
$p_{co}$ can be used as an appropriate performance indicator itself. Finally,
we apply our analysis to solving a channel bandwidth allocation problem, where
we derive optimal schemes and provide general guidelines on bandwidth
allocation for DISH networks.
