Routing of Time-Sensitive Data in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile networks take the communication concept one step further than wireless networks. In these networks, all nodes in the network are assumed to be mobile. These networks are also called mobile ad hoc networks, due to their mobility and random configurations. Ad hoc networking is a relatively new concept; consequently, many researches are in progress focusing on each level of the network stack of ad hoc networks. This research focuses on the routing of time-sensitive data in ad hoc networks. A routing protocol named Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vectoring (AODV), which has been developed by Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for ad hoc networks, has been studied. Taking this protocol as a point of departure, a new routing protocol named as Real Time Routing Protocol (RTRP) was developed while considering the characteristics of time-sensitive data. These two routing protocols have been modeled using OPNET, a discrete-event network simulation tool, and simulations were run to compare the performances of these protocols.