Dynamically adapting mobile ad hoc routing protocols to improve scalability

Abstract

While numerous routing protocols have been designed for mobile ad hoc networks, many of them have assumed certain network conditions and built in system parameters which are preset to suit these assumptions. We show that by simply changing certain system parameters dynamically, we are able to improve the performance of the network. In this paper, we demonstrate this concept using the Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector (AODV) protocol, by adding simple algorithms to enable it to adapt its behaviour according to network characteristics. Focusing on just one aspect, we are able to improve network performance without changing the protocol architecture.