A Few Powerful Nodes Enhance Mobile Network Connectivity

by X. Shi, C. Adams, & A. Kondoz SPIE Newsroom, accessed 6 Oct 2006 A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a temporary collection of wireless nodes communicating without the benefit of infrastructure. A connection between two nodes may involve several others in what is known as multi-hop routing. MANET can be used in situations in which, for example, soldiers relay and share information on a battlefield or relief workers coordinate efforts during an emergency. A basic requirement of a MANET is that it must maintain higher network connectivity, loss of which could entail severe consequences. Therefore, a principal task is to set up a route that connects source and destination nodes. Due to the dynamic shifts in network topology, multi-hop routing is neither stable nor pre-established. Strategically positioned nodes with extra transmission power can maintain system-wide connectivity in ad hoc networks. Read more