Routing protocols in wireless ad-hoc networks : a simulation study

Abstract

An ad-hoc network is a temporary network without any form of centralized administration. Multiple hops might be necessary to reach other nodes in the network. For this reason, each node acts both as a router and a host, meaning that every node must be willing to forward packets for other nodes. This master thesis evaluates some proposed routing protocols for these types of networks. The evaluation is done by means of simulation, using Network simulator 2 from Berkeley. The report shows that there certainly is a need for a special ad-hoc routing protocol when mobility increases and that some sort of link layer feedback is necessary to get high performance. The protocols that performed best were the reactive protocols AODV and DSR. A proactive approach, like DSDV, is not desirable because link failures are not handled fast enough.