An efficient multiple-path routing protocol for ad hoc networks

Abstract

An ad hoc network is a cooperative engagement of a collection of mobile hosts that requires no intervening of any centralized access point or existing infrastructure, Each mobile host, operating as a specialized router, forwards packets from other mobile hosts. The possibility of fast movement of mobile hosts means network topologies may change frequently. Thus, applying traditional routing schemes to ad hoc networks is inappropriate. In this paper, we present an efficient routing protocol called the multiple next hops (MNH) routing protocol, which is based on the ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) routing protocol for ad hoc networks. The proposed MNH protocol establishes multiple paths for a route discovery procedure, thus conserving network bandwidth and reducing route reconstruction times when routing paths fail. Numerical experiments are given to show the effectiveness of the MNH routing protocol. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.