Application of Path Duration Study in MultiHop Ad Hoc Networks

Some ad hoc protocols allow the discovery and/or storage of multiple routes to the same destination node. The selection of the path to utilize is commonly based on the criterion of the minimum number of hops. However, other strategies could be more appropriate to improve the network performance. In this sense, this paper proposes the criterion based on the estimation of the Mean Residual Path Lifetime. In order to compute this metric, a formal description of link duration in mobile ad hoc networks is presented. The model has been verified by means of simulations enclosing different mobility and transmission conditions. From the link duration model, an analytical expression for path duration and mean residual lifetime is then derived. Finally, the authors show that selected ad hoc routing paths live longer when the proposed criterion is employed.