Multi-hop ad hoc networking: from theory to reality

ABSTRACT

We discuss ten years of research about multi-hop ad hoc networking. We try to summarize the main achievements and to point out the limits behind Mobile Ad hoc NETworks (MANET) research. This research has been carried out under the assumption that these networks are mainly used for large-scale general consumer applications, and nodes are ubiquitous, thus reasonably dense and active. Both assumptions are considerably far from reality and would certainly not be true in an initial phase of deployment. Lack of realism in MANET objectives coupled with a lack of realism during MANET design are the main causes that are running MANET towards a high risk of failing. Then we show that, while pure general-purpose MANETs do not yet happen in the real world, the multi-hop ad hoc networking paradigm has been successfully applied in several classes of networks that are penetrating the mass market. We take as examples mesh and opportunistic networks together with vehicular and sensor networks, where the multi-hop ad hoc paradigm is applied in a pragmatic way to extend the Internet, and/or to support well-defined application requirements. We oppose these successful areas of ad hoc networking to the lack of impacts of pure general-purpose MANETs, evidencing how a more pragmatic approach is winner.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  C. Computer Systems Organization
  C.2 COMPUTER-COMMUNICATION NETWORKS
      C.2.1 Network Architecture and Design
          Subjects: Wireless communication

General Terms:
Design, Theory