Recent Advances in Circuits, Systems and Automatic Control

Comparison of Routing Protocols for Ad Hoc Wireless Network with

medical data
Zakaria Suliman Zubi1, Ismail H. Moftah Eldabar2
1
Computer Science Department, Faculty of Science, Sirte University,
Libya, {[email protected]}
2
Computer Science Department, Faculty of Science, Sirte University,
Libya, {[email protected]}

Abstract: - This paper is a comprehensive study of an Ad Hoc wireless network which is a wireless network
without any central controlling authority which is a collection of mobile nodes that are dynamically and arbitrarily
located in such a manner that the interconnections between nodes are capable of changing on a continual basis, so
nodes cooperate to route a packet. The purpose of the routing protocol is to discover rapid changes of the topology
in such a way that intermediate nodes can act as routers to forward packets on behalf of the communicating pair .
Route construction should be done with a minimum of overhead and bandwidth consumption. In configuration,
topology management issues are even more important in the context of ad hoc wireless networks. This paper
provides an overview of three routing protocols by presenting their characteristics and functionality to exchange
and use different type of information (text, image, video and voice) as database, Email, video conferencing, voice,
print and download between nodes (clinics) in hospital, and it presents a comparison and discussion of routing
protocols by using OpNet simulation, we will focus on AODV protocols AODV (Ad Hoc On Demand Distance
Vector), Temporally-Ordered Routing Algorithm (TORA) and Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR),
and we will compare them by two of criteria as network density, throughput and delay.

Keywords: - Ad Hoc wireless network, (AODV, OLSR and TORA), Topology, Throughput and Delay.

1 Introduction
Wireless networks have most important role in the nodes since they must do complex data processing.
area of communication in our world. Nowadays we There are two possible ways to decrease the energy
are using wireless networks in many purposes like used for communication: minimize the amount of
emergency management, industrial applications, and data transmitted, or shorten the communication range
healthcare applications and even in personal region [24]. To decrease the transmission distance, at this
networks. The major difference between wireless and approach where the Base Station (BS) is capable to
wired networks was simply in communication change its position, hence to prolong the lifetime of
channel. Present exist physical standard like cables in the network, which can be defined in several ways.
wired networks, while on the other part physical Some applications can tolerate a loss of a large
medium doesn’t exist like radio wave on the wireless number of nodes, while in others losing a single
networks. Also, computer communication networks sensor violates the functionality of the whole network
are increasing and spreading rapidly especially when [5].
the internet becomes integrated in our life. By this Ad Hoc wireless network is a collection of
technique of communication networks facilitates we mobile nodes in communication without using
can exchange and share many services such as upload infrastructure. As the real-time applications used in
and download files, transfer voice conferencing or today’s wireless network grow, we need some
video stream. Also, we can collect, store and change schemes to provide more suitable service for them
information from database and print out on paper or [1], [15]. Ad hoc wireless network is a decentralized
attached on DVD\CD. autonomous wireless system which consists of free
A base station works as links to connect node nodes. It sometimes called mobile mesh network, is a
network to another network (like a gateway) to self configurable wireless network. However, it
disseminate the data sensed for further processing. consists of mobile or static nodes, a router with
Base stations have enhanced capabilities over simple multiple hosts and wireless communication

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 Recent Advances in Circuits, Systems and Automatic Control

devices [2], [6]. The wireless communication through additional nodes. Many Routing protocols
devices are transmitters, receivers and smart have been developed for accomplishing this task.
antennas. These antennas can be of any kind and Ad hoc wireless network’s routing protocols are
nodes can be fixed or mobile. The term node referred characteristically subdivided into three main
to as, which are free to move arbitrarily in every categories based on the routing information update
direction. These nodes can be a mobile phone, laptop, mechanism [2], [21]. These are proactive routing
personal digital assistance and personal computer. protocols, reactive routing protocols and hybrid
In Ad Hoc Wireless network any communication routing protocols. Each category has many protocols
between nodes always requires routing over multi- and some of these protocols are shown in figure1.
hop paths between the source node and the
destination node to self-organize and form a network
over different links. All nodes are static and
homogeneous usually communicate with each other
using a multi hop approach. Also, the nodes are
equipped with power control capabilities to vary their
transmitted power [3]. The nodes do not know their
location in the network. In last, base station is fixed
and not located between nodes [4], [19].
The purpose of the routing protocol is to discover
rapid changes of the topology in such a way that
intermediate nodes can act as routers to forward
packets on behalf of the communicating pair [9].
Therefore, routing protocols are responsible for Figure1: Classification of Ad hoc routing
forwarding data packets over good quality routes protocols.
which optimize real time performance procedures 2.1 Ad Hoc On Demand Distance Vector (AODV)
such a delay and throughput. Also, the route Ad hoc on demand distance vector protocol is
construction should be done with a minimum of reactive protocol. It constructs route on demand and
overhead and bandwidth consumption. The delay aims to reduce routing load. It uses a table driven
adjacent to a route depends on the traffic through its routing framework, destination sequence numbers for
links, which depends on the external load [10]. routing packets to destination mobile nodes and has
location independent algorithm figure2. It sends
2 Routing protocols in ad hoc wireless messages only when demanded and it has bi-
network directional route from the source and destination.
Ad-hoc wireless networks are networks without When it has packets to send from source to
any physical connections. In these networks there is destinations node then it floods the network with
no fixed topology due to the mobility of nodes, route request (RREQ) packets. All nodes that receive
interference, multipath propagation and path loss. the RREQ from neighbor or update message then it
Also, Routing is an activity or function that connects checks routing table to find out that if it is the
a call from origin to destination in destination node or if it has fresh route to the
telecommunication networks and also plays an destination then it unicast route reply (RREP) which
important role in architecture, design and operation is routed back on a temporary reverse route generated
of networks [6], [19]. Hence, a dynamic routing by RREQ from source node, or else it re-broadcast
protocol is needed for these networks to function RREQ [11], [20].
properly. However, the nodes may be capable to The Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector protocol
communicate directly with each other, for example, (AODV) aims to obtain routes on-demand, i.e. when
when they are inside wireless transmission range of an upper layer communication packet is distanced to
each other. Therefore, ad hoc networks must also a node not known in the routing table. AODV uses
maintain the contact between nodes that are only three control messages to obtain and maintain routes:
indirectly associated by a series of wireless hops

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 Recent Advances in Circuits, Systems and Automatic Control

the RERR, it initiates a new route discovery for the

given route.
In addition, AODV performs route maintenance on
active routes. If one node in an active path discovers
a link breakage, a route error message will be
transmitted upstream. The source node will then
initiate a new route request [8].

2.2 Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR)

The protocol is based on the link state algorithm
and it is table-driven in nature. It employs periodic
exchange of messages to maintain topology
information of the network at each node [22]. This
Figure2: AODV process request pattern protocol uses the multipoint relaying technique to
Route Request (RREQ) efficiently and economically flood its control
A source broadcasts RREQ messages to an Ad hoc messages. It provides optimal routes in terms of
wireless network if the routing entry is empty for the number of hops, which are immediately available
given destination figure3. AODV can utilize an when needed [17].
expanding ring technique with gradually increasing The novelty of OLSR is to employ multipoint relays
Time To Live (TTL) for each request to avoid (MPRs) to minimize the number of control messages
broadcast storm in an Ad hoc wireless network [8]. flooding in the network. Each node chooses a subset
Route Reply (RREP) of its one hop neighbors (MPRs) in such a way that
A node replies to a request by sending RREP these MPRs will cover all two-hop away neighbors.
message either if: (i) it is the destination; or (ii) if it is Hence, messages are only flooded through MPRs,
an intermediate node and has a fresh route to the and not to all nodes. Flooding through multipoint
destination. If the destination is not known, the relays (MPRs) reduce the number of duplicate
intermediate node will rebroadcast the RREQ. When transmissions figure5 [1].
a node re-broadcasts a Route Request, it sets up a Core functioning of OLSR is Packet format and
reverse path pointing toward the source. This reverse forwarding; link sensing with hello messages;
path is used to forward Route Reply (RREP) unicast neighbor detection; MPR selection and MPR
back to the source figure4, [8]. signaling; topology control message diffusion; route
table computation; node configuration. Three control
messages are defined to provide this functionality
[12], [19].

Figure3: Route Request (RREQ) message

Figure5: MPR and normal flooding

HELLO
HELLO messages are exchanged between
neighbors only, and diffuse information about the
one-hop neighbors of a node. Upon reception of
HELLO messages, the two hop neighborhood can be
Figure4: Route Replay (RREP) message
discovered, and further, the MPRs of the given node
Route Error (RERR)
can be chosen. The MPRs chosen by a node is further
If a node is unable to forward packet, it generates a
RERR message. When the originator node receives

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 Recent Advances in Circuits, Systems and Automatic Control

marked in the following HELLO messages changes by localization of algorithmic reaction

broadcasted by that node. figure7. Moreover, it is bandwidth efficient and
TC - Topology Control highly adaptive and quick in route repair during link
In OLSR, all nodes chosen as MPR will transmit failure figure8 and providing multiple routes to
TC messages. The TC messages contain the address destination node in wireless networks [7], [14].
of the node generating the message, as well as the list
of nodes that has chosen the given node as MPR. TC
messages are further flooded using the MPRs,
disseminating network topology information to all
the nodes in the OLSR network.
MID - Multiple Interface Declaration
The MID message is broadcasted by nodes running
OLSR on more than one network interface.
In addition, a fourth message type, Host and Network
Association (HNA) message disseminates Figure6: Propagation of query message through the
information about OLSR nodes that act as gateways network
(either to the Internet or to a separate Ethernet).
Using a common format for all messages the
OLSR standard provides extensibility of the protocol
without breaking backwards compatibility. This
feature gives a unique possibility to disseminate
additional information through intermediate nodes
even if the nodes do not support the specific
extension [17].
Figure7: Height of each node updated a result of
2.3 Temporary Ordered Routing Algorithm UDP message
(TORA)
Temporary ordered routing algorithm is hybrid
protocol, which is distributed and routers only
maintain information about adjacent routers. During
reactive operation, sources initiate the establishment
of routes to a given destination on demand. Where in
dynamic networks, it is efficient with relatively
sparse traffic patterns; as it does not have to maintain
routes at all the time. It does not continuously Figure8: Re-establishing route on failure link 5-7.The
execute a shortest path computation and the metric new reference level is node5.
used to establish the routing structure does not
represent a distance [18], [13]. TORA has a unique feature of maintaining multiple
TORA maintains multiple routes to the destination routes to the destination so that topological changes
when topology changes frequently. It consists of link do not require any reaction at all. The protocol reacts
reversal of the Directed Acyclic Graph (ACG). It only when all routes to the destination are lost. In the
uses Internet MANET Encapsulation Protocol event of network partitions the protocol is able to
(IMEP) for link status and neighbor connectivity detect the partition and erase all invalid routes [2].
sensing. IMEP provide reliable, in-order delivery of
all routing control messages from a node to all of its 3 Performance evaluation and
neighbors figure6, and notification to the routing Comparison.
protocol whenever a link neighbors is created or Ad Hoc wireless network is designed for the
broken [16]. simulation study having different network entities
As TORA is for multihop networks which is and their configuration according to the applications
considered to minimize the communication overhead classes we have chosen. Moreover, we will simulate
associated with adapting to network topological two different networks members size each of them

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 Recent Advances in Circuits, Systems and Automatic Control

has different number of network members (50 and monitor the performance metrics of the network in
100 nodes) randomly placed on a 1000 m×1000 m different scenarios, and focus on the comparison of
field. Each node moves in the region according to a data obtained by using OpNet modeler, also, the
given mobility model. Each wireless channel has result obtained from these different scenarios while A
11Mb/s bandwidth and a circular radio range of 30 m route recognized between source and destination
radius. No multiple-access contention or interference matchup is maintained as long as desirable by the
is modeled and each link uses the entire channel source with routing protocols selected.
bandwidth when transmitting packets.
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