Exploit the capacity of unstable links in AODV-based ad hoc networks

This paper addresses the problem of unstable link in ad hoc networks. Unstable link is the direct link between two nodes, via which transmission has high and fluctuating packet loss rate. We propose an enhancement based on ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) routing protocol to exploit potential communication capacity of unstable link. In our proposed mechanism (AODV-uLINK), sender and receiver cooperatively utilize unstable link by adaptively allocating traffic flow between unstable link and stable multi-hop route. Experimental results from our real-world ad hoc testbed show that our solution successfully enhances route stability and exploits potential communication capacity of unstable links, compared with pure AODV and another signal noise ratio (SNR) based AODV