MANET (MOBILE AD HOC NETWORK)
Manets are network with the following caracteristics
- Created dynamically (on-the-fly) to satisfy needs and reqs that are typically temporary
- Immediate and highly reconfigurable deployment (NO fixed infrastructure)
- High “volatility”
- Mobility, failures/faults, node resources that vary over time
- Nodes with very differentiated features (heterogeneity)
- Nodes with limited energy (battery-operated)
- Any node can play the role of potential router
- Multi-hop communications
Given the nature of MANETS a lot of challenges comes up
- Limited transmission range
- Broadcast nature of the wireless medium (e.g., hidden terminal)
- Packet loss due to transmission errors
- Modifications to routing and established paths due to mobility
- Packet loss induced by mobility
- Network partitioning is possibly frequent
- Energy constraints
- Easy “snooping” of wireless transmissions (associated security issues)