AD HOC Networking:

Ad hoc Networks consist of communication nodes interconnected by multi-hop wireless links. These Networks do not have a fixed infrastructure or topology. In situations where the Network topology may rapidly evolve, point-to-point communication between any two nodes is possible only through multi-hop Wireless Networks because of their ability to self-organize and rapidly adapt to changes. These Networks play a critical role in emergency and damage control situations where the absence of a wired (central) backbone is common. As compared to the traditional wireless networks with centralized control, ad hoc Networks require sophisticated distributed algorithms for setting up a communication link between any two nodes. Hence, efficient clustering and routing mechanisms are desired for such Networks. Also, due to the limited bandwidth of these wireless links, protocols designed for efficient usage of the frequency spectrum are desired.

Our research team has developed a technique called Load-Balanced Clustering and Routing Algorithm (LBCRA) for addressing the clustering and routing problems for wireless ad hoc networks. LBCRA employs a different heuristic based on many factors that contribute to the stability of the network to elect the cluster heads. Also, for bandwidth-efficiency, a novel end-to-end header compression technique for multi-hop wireless ad hoc Networks is being developed. This technique, known as Routing-Assisted Header Compression (RAHC), is implemented in conjunction with the conventional on-demand routing techniques for ad hoc Networks. Initial investigation shows promising results in terms of improving the overall throughput of the System.