Network Wide Broadcasting Protocols for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Network wide broad asting in Mobile Ad Ho Networks (MANETs) provides important ontrol and route establishment fun tionality for a number of uni ast and multi ast proto ols. Considering its wide use as a building blo k for other network layer proto ols, the MANET ommunity needs to standardize a single methodology that eÆ iently delivers a pa ket from one node to all other nodes. Despite a onsiderable number of proposed broad asting s hemes, no omprehensive omparative analysis has been previously done. This thesis provides a theory-based and simulation-based omparison of the di erent proto ols. Broad ast proto ols are rst des ribed and lassi ed into four ategories. A run-time analysis of algorithm omplexity is performed and a theoreti al model to predi t the fra tion of retransmitting nodes is provided for two proto ols. In addition, we simulate a subset of the proto ols from ea h ategory, thus supplying a ondensed but omprehensive side by side omparison. The simulations are designed to pinpoint, in ea h ategory, spe i failures to network onditions that are relevant to MANETs, e.g., bandwidth ongestion and dynami topologies. Proto ol extensions using adaptive responses to network onditions are proposed, implemented and analyzed for one broad asting s heme that performs well in the omparative study. Two proto ols utilizing neighbor knowledge are shown to be most appli able for a wide range of network onditions. Areas of future resear h are de ned to perfe t these two proto ols, with the hope that one will be hosen as a standard broad asting s heme by the MANET ommunity. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : iii LIST OF FIGURES : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : vii LIST OF TABLES : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : x Chapter