MIPMANET -: Mobile IP for mobile ad hoc networks

Mobile ad hoe networking allows nodes to form temporary networks and communicate beyond transmitter range by supporting multihop communication through IP routing. Routing in such networks is often reactive, i.e., performed on-demand, as opposed to Internet routing that is proactive. As ad hoc networks are formed on a temporary basis, any IP address should be allowed to appear in an ad hoc network. This paper presents MIPMANET, a solution for connecting an ad hoc network, in which on-demand routing is used, to the Internet. MIPMANET provides Internet access by using Mobile IP with foreign agent care-of addresses and reverse tunneling. This allows nodes to enjoy the mobility services of Mobile IP while at the same time the requirements on the ad hoc routing protocol are kept to a minimum. Simulations of MIPMANET have been performed in Network Simulator 2. The Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol has been used for routing within the ad hoc network. These simulations show that the ability to choose the closest access point to the Internet is worth extra work, as less traffic is generated in the network resulting in lower delays and fewer dropped packets.