Performance analysis of mobile ad hoc networking routing protocols

Abstract

This thesis presents a simulation and performance evaluation analysis of the various routing protocols that have been proposed for the Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) environment using the Network Simulator-2 (NS-2) tool. Many routing protocols have been proposed by the academic communities for possible practical implementation of a MANET in military, governmental and commercial environments. Four (4) such routing protocols were chosen for analysis and evaluation: Ad Hoc On-demand Distance Vector routing (AODV), Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), Destination-Sequenced Distance Vector routing (DSDV) and Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR). NS-2 is developed and maintained by the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute (ISI). Leveraging on NS-2's simulation capabilities, the key performance indicators of the routing protocols were analyzed such as data network throughput, routing overhead generation, data delivery delay as well as energy efficiency or optimization. The last metric is explored, especially due to its relevance to the mobile environment. Energy is a scare commodity in a mobile ad hoc environment. Any routing software that attempts to minimize energy usage will prolong the livelihood of the devices used in the battlefield. Three important mobility models are considered, namely, Random Waypoint, Manhattan Grid, and Reference Point Group Mobility. The application of these three models will enhance the realism of simulation to actual real life mobility in an urban or military setup scenario. The performance of the routing protocols in varied node density, mobility speed as well as loading conditions have been studied. The results of the simulation will provide invaluable insights to the performance of the selected routing protocols. This can serve as a deciding factor for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in their selection of the most suitable routing protocols tailored to their specific needs.