A Performance Evaluation of Security Schemes Proposed for the OLSR Protocol

Abstract

The proactive optimized link state routing (OLSR) protocol for mobile wireless ad hoc networks has no default security services. Three different schemes have been proposed to protect the protocol. Even though equal with regard to provided security services, the impact on resource consumption diverge significantly due to the design choices. This paper investigates and analyzes the recommended mechanisms with regard to bandwidth consumption and delay. Mechanisms evaluated are the utilization of separate signature messages versus directly signed routing messages, routing message aggregation as a possible way of reducing bandwidth consumption, times tamps versus sequence numbers as the basis for replay protection and periodical versus on-demand exchange of time information