Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs) are inherently dynamic and complex systems which are being deployed in denser and more challenging scenarios like stadiums, with greater user performance demand to support applications such as video, cloud access and offloading. Their very nature requires adaptive and intelligent solutions to enhance and optimize their performance. As a candidate solution, Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) can optimize a performance criterion using exemplary data from past experiences. They present solutions that are adaptive to their dynamic environment. This work is a narrow review of applications of ANNs in WLANs, specifically for network performance enhancement and optimization i.e. their use in finding and exploiting correlations and patterns between adaptive network parameters and network performance. We also provide a generic framework and guidelines for their application in WLANs in this regard.
