A mobile radio network architecture with dynamically changing topology using virtual subnets

An architecture adaptable to dynamic topology changes in multi-hop, mobile radio networks is described. The architecture partitions a mobile network into logically independent subnetworks. Network nodes are members of physical and virtual subnets and may change their affiliation with these subnets due to their mobility. Each node is allocated an address based on its current subset affiliation. We observe-especially in large networks with random topology-that partitioning of the network may result in significantly more balanced load than in one large multi-hop network, an attribute that can significantly improve the network's performance. The architecture is highly fault-tolerant, has a relatively simple location updating and tracking scheme, and by virtue of its load balancing feature, typically achieves a network with relatively high throughput and low delay. The addressing method, logical topology, mobility management and routing procedure are described, and network performance is evaluated.