An Efficient Stable Clustering Algorithm for Scalable Mobile Multi-Hop Networks

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of mobile devices has influenced the potential growth of wireless networking applications. This has lead to an augmentation in wireless ad hoc networking scenarios, particularly interesting for network operators. In this work, we present an adaptive framework for weight metric estimation and dissemination to construct stable and reliable weight-based clusters which can provide faster convergence rates and performance results for dynamic routing in mobile ad hoc networks. The framework considers critical node properties in determining a node's suitability for becoming clusterheads. It employs adaptive cluster radius and dynamic network constraints as the weight dissemination criterion. We observe that the proposed algorithm is suitable for scalable ad hoc networks and provides stable cluster formation decisions based on weighted metric approaches. Extensive performance evaluations confirm the suitability of the protocol for adaptive stable cluster formation and control overhead reduction in mobile ad hoc networks. We also provide comparisons with other clustering algorithms.