Mobility Prediction and Mobile-aware Routing Protocols in MANETs

Abstract

Ad hoc wireless networks comprise of mobile devices that use wireless transmission for communication without the need for a pre-existing infrastructure. One of the main characteristics of ad hoc networks is that they are self-organizing, which necessitates that all networking functions be performed by the nodes themselves. When designing mobile ad hoc networks, several challenges arise due to the shared nature of the wireless medium, limited transmission range of wireless devices, and node mobility. Node mobility poses a greater challenge as it makes routes more prone to frequent ruptures, which in turn degrades the overall network performance. If the future movement of the node can be predicted in a precise way, the impact of mobility can be decreased, and the overall performance of the network can be improved. This chapter provides an introduction and a critical review on some of the existing mobility prediction models and their effect on the performance of existing routing protocols.