A Simplified Approach to Analyze Routing Protocols in Dynamic MANET Environment

The fundamental characteristic which differentiates MANETs from other wireless or wired network is mobility and node density. Mobile Wireless Ad Hoc Networks (MANET) is a network without infrastructure, where every node functions as transmitter, router and data sink. Therefore, MANET routing protocols are designed to adaptively cater for dynamic changes in topology while maximizing throughput and packet delivery ratio, and minimizing delay, aggregate good put, average jitter and minimum packet loss. In this paper, the MANET is implemented by using Ad Hoc Demand Vector (AODV), Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), and Dynamic MANET on Demand (DYMO), Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR) and Zone Routing Protocol (ZRP) and simulated on QualNet5.0 simulator. The effect of mobility and density of nodes changing in MANET is investigated and compared a number of reactive, hybrid and proactive routing protocols including AODV, DSR, DYMO, OLSR and ZRP. The simulative study on MANET routing protocols aims to determine the performance of current MANET routing protocols with respect to mobility and node density factors. Results vary when we change the node density. The results of this network are tabulated along with a comprehensive analysis which compares throughput, packet delivery ratio, end to end delay, aggregate good put, average jitter value and packet dropping with node density.