Multihop ad hoc networking: The reality

In this article we show that, although pure general-purpose MANET (mobile ad hoc networks) does not yet exist in the real world, the multihop ad hoc networking paradigm was successfully applied in several classes of networks that are penetrating the mass market. We present as examples mesh, opportunistic, vehicular, and sensor networks, where the multi-hop ad hoc paradigm is applied in a pragmatic way to extend the Internet and/or to support well-defined application requirements. We contrast these successful areas of ad hoc networking to the lack of impact of pure general-purpose MANET, demonstrating how a more pragmatic approach is a winner.