Mobile Ad-hoc networks

• Terminals may appear and disappear anywhere and anytime, and may freely move.

• Nodes can act as routers or terminals.

• Networks are independently formed and can be merged and split anytime.

• Dynamic topologies.

• Coexistence of different access mediums.

• The network is intelligent and self-organized.

• Bandwidth-constrained, variable capacity links.

• Energy-constrained operation.

• It has limited physical security.

Challenges increased by ad-hoc networks

Limitations of the wireless network.

• Lack of central entity for organization available.

• Limited range of wireless communication.

• Packet loss due to transmission errors.

• Variable capacity links.

• Frequent disconnections/partitions.

• They have limited communication bandwidth.

• Broadcast nature of the communications.

Limitations imposed by mobility.

• It is dynamically changing topologies/routes.

• Lack of mobility awareness by system/applications.

Limitations of the mobile computer.

• Short battery life.

• Limited capabilities.

Build a wireless ad-hoc network

Try to build a network without infrastructure, using the networking abilities of the participants.

• This is an ad-hoc network - a network constructed “for a special purpose”.

Simplest example: Laptops in a conference room - a single-hop ad-hoc network.