A duplicate address resolution protocol in mobile ad hoc networks

In an IP-based network, automated dynamic assignment of IP addresses is preferable. In most wired networks, a node relies on a centralized server by using dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) to obtain a dynamic IP address. However, the DHCP-based approach cannot be employed in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) due to the uncertainty of any centralized DHCP server. That is, a MANET may become partitioned due to host mobility. Therefore, there is no guarantee to access a DHCP server. A general approach to address this issue is to allow a mobile host to pick a tentative address randomly, and then use duplicate address resolution (DAR) protocol to resolve any duplicate addresses. In this paper, an innovative distributed dynamic host configuration protocol designed to configure nodes in MANET is presented. The proposed protocol not only can detect the duplicate address, but also can resolve the problem caused by duplicate address. It shows that the proposed protocol works correctly and is more universal than earlier approaches. An enhanced version of DAR scheme is also proposed in this paper to solve the situation of duplicate MAC address. The new and innovative approach proposed in this paper can make the nodes in MANET provide services to other networks and avoid packets from being delivered to incorrect destinations.