AD HOC NETWORKING

'Ad hoc' networks are wireless, mobile networks that can be set up anywhere and anytime—outside the Internet or another preexisting network infrastructure. The field has tremendous commercial and military potential, supporting applications such as mobile conferencing outside the office, battlefield communications, and embedded sensor devices that automate everyday functions, among others.
Ad Hoc Networking is a collection of algorithms, protocols, and innovative ideas from the leading practitioners and researchers that will propel the technology toward mainstream deployment. It discusses numerous potential applications, reviews relevant networking concepts, and examines the various approaches that define emerging ad hoc networking technologies. Specific topics covered include:

- The Ad Hoc On-Demand Distance-Vector (AODV) protocol, which reduces memory and processing requirements
- The Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) algorithm, in which paths are carried along with the data packets
- Ad hoc networking for the military
- Cluster-based networks for transmission management and routing efficiency
- The Destination-Sequenced Distance-Vector (DSDV) protocol
- The Zone Routing Protocol (ZRP)—a hybrid proactive/reactive protocol
- The Temporally Ordered Routing Algorithm (TORA)—a link-reversal protocol
- The Associative Bit Routing (ABR) algorithm, in a chapter which addresses battery life concerns
- Source Tree Adaptive Routing (STAR) protocol—a bandwidth-efficient partial link-state algorithm

Throughout this book, important issues—scalability, cost, bandwidth efficiency, power requirements,compatibility, quality of service, and security—are considered; possible solutions to these challenges are presented.