Moving From Topology-Dependent to Opportunistic Routing Protocols in Dynamic Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are a collection of wireless devices like mobile phones and laptops that can spontaneously form self-sustained temporary networks without the assistance of any pre-existing infrastructure or centralized control. These unique features have enabled MANETs to be used for communication in challenging environments like earthquake-affected areas, underground mines, etc. Mobility and speed of devices in MANETs have become highly unpredictable and is increasing day by day. Major challenge in these highly dynamic networks is to efficiently deliver data packets from source to destination. Over these years a number of protocols have been proposed for this purpose. This chapter examines the working of popular protocols proposed for efficient data delivery in MANETs: starting from the traditional topology-based protocols to the latest opportunistic protocols. The performances of these protocols are analyzed using simulations in ns-2. Finally, challenges and future research directions in this area are presented.