  Accurate and fast packet delivery rate (PDR) estimation, used in evaluating
wireless link quality, is a prerequisite to increase the performance of mobile,
multi-hop and multi-rate wireless ad hoc networks. Unfortunately, contemporary
PDR estimation methods, i.e. beacon-based packet counting in Estimated
Transmission Time and Expected Transmission Count metrics, have unsatisfactory
performance. Therefore, in this paper we propose a novel PDR estimation method
based on SNR profiles. We classify all possible link quality estimation methods
and compare them analytically against our design. Results show that it leads to
a more efficient link quality estimation. Further investigations with the
prototype implementation of our method in IEEE 802.11b/g testbeds reveal that
the accuracy of PDR estimation in mobile scenarios can be improved up to 50% in
comparison to generic packet-based PDR. Experiments with the same prototype on
link and routing layers for different measurement scenarios show that it leads
to a better rate adaptation and route selection in the form of end-to-end
throughput increase compared to traditional packet counting methods.
