Description
Attempts are in progress to connect mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) to the Internet infrastructure to fill in the coverage gaps in the areas where the first-hop coverage, e.g., WLANs, is not available. For the MANET integration with IP networks, the MANET should adapt to the network functionality within IP networks, and it is usually considered as the complementary to the IP network, where the Internet connectivity is extended into a MANET, making a MANET a part of the Internet.
Typically, the connection between a MANET node and an Internet gateway (IGW) is multihop. Therefore, there is normally no direct wireless link from this MANET node to the IGW. Instead, they are connected via other intermediate nodes. Thus, different problems, e.g., inconsistent context, cascading effect, can happen during the mobility of ad-hoc nodes within a MANET domain if multiple IGWs exist. Research has also been in-progress for the load-balance of intra-MANET traffic within a MANET domain, and that of inter-MANET traffic over multiple IGWs. This thesis topic will review the discovered problems, the techniques to either reduce partly or remove completely these problems, how these techniques are implemented, and the load-balance of intra/inter-MANET traffic over multiple IGWs.
Currently, there are lots of alternative approaches on each required functions to provide Internet connectivity for MANETs, and the mobility management of MANET nodes among Internet domains. However, many of the existing designs have not been properly evaluated due to their complexities. One reason for this is their own assumptions, which limit to evaluate some typical functions individually, not in an integration manner. Another reason is the lack of implementations. Thus, this thesis topic also evaluate the performance and overhead of different approaches. The implementation of testing scenarios should avoid the discovered problems, including inconsistent context, cascading effect, and load balance of intra/inter-MANET traffic.
Links
http://www.antd.nist.gov/wctg/manet/adhoclinks.html
http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/manet-charter.html
Program
Informatikk