Characterizing Network Dynamics in Mobile Wireless Networks
Jiaxuan Chen · 2023
Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are a type of wireless network in which devices are mobile and are connected to each other via wireless links.To exchange traffic, these networks relying on devices forwarding traffic for each other, rather than using fixed network infrastructure like cellular towers or Internet routers.Applications of MANETs range from disaster rescue, to national defense systems, to home automation, to robotics.Routing and forwarding of traffic in a MANET is difficult, however, because the network topology is changing over time.Metrics that are able to quantify how the network topology is changing can be used to make better routing decisions in these networks.In this thesis, we investigate four metrics to quantify how the connectivity and predictability of the network topology changes over time in a MANET.The specific metrics that we consider are the average node degree, the probability that a path exists, the average link-up entropy, and the average link-down entropy.In simulation, we evaluate how these metrics vary as a function of different mobility models and different network settings.Our results show that these metrics, when computed for different mobility models, show common trends as a function of node transmission range and node speed and so have promise for use in designing better routing strategies for MANETs.