Cross Layer Multicasting Protocol in ad hoc networks

There have been several multicast protocols on ad hoc networks. Although several schemes can implement multicast in ad hoc networks, they have disadvantages, i.e. poor adaptability for dynamic topology, high delay. In this paper, we proposed an improved mesh-based routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks, called as Cross Layer Multicasting Protocol in ad hoc networks (CLMPA), which is a cross-layer design by sharing information of three layers (physical layer, link layer and network layer). CLMPA can obtain a high delivery ratio with very low delay, which is constant for a wide range of network conditions. Two well-known multicast protocols PUMA and MAODV have been compared with CLMPA. Simulation results from a wide range of scenarios of varying mobility and traffic load show that CLMPA has higher packet delivery ratios than PUMA and MAODV and meanwhile maintains less delay.