Parametric analysis of dynamic routing protocol for wireless sensor networks

In the paper the adaptability of Dynamic Source Routing (DSR) Protocol to the changes in network topography, its ability to establish new routes and the viability in modern sensing devices is simulated and analyzed. For a dynamic network the distance between source and destination changes along with their position in respect to their neighboring nodes. In our experiments, three scenarios considering real world deployment techniques like fixed position, clustering and random mobility are designed and the behavior of the protocol has been studied in two networks consisting of 100 and 150 nodes respectively. Comparative analysis is performed considering characteristics such as Instantaneous throughput, Bandwidth consumption, Average throughput, Packet delivery ratios and Residual energy of the individual nodes and of the network. The experimental data provides valuable insight for real-world applications. Path selection in DSR protocol is based on control messages which are flooded throughout the network. As seen from our experiments, the protocol can be greatly enhanced by reducing the overhead (number of packets required for network communication) to conserve bandwidth. Before making changes to the header or the routing mechanism we need to make sure that the protocol can still accommodate the various types of payloads, options and adopt to fragmented or dynamic networks. Due to the severe limitations on the resources available, the selected protocol should provide high energy efficiency, reliability and robustness to attacks. Hence the analysis of networking/routing protocols should be considered and variations of the selected protocol can be developed to accommodate the challenges faced in such networks.