Multicasting in energy-limited ad-hoc wireless networks

We address the problem of multicasting in military “ad-hoc” wireless networks. Since such networks lack a fixed cellular infrastructure, multicast algorithms that are based on the availability of fixed, known topologies cannot be used effectively. Even when the locations of the nodes are fixed and known, the properties of the wireless medium create a networking environment that is vastly different from that of wired networks, and for which the multicasting problem has scarcely been addressed. Specifically, the broadcast nature of wireless transmission and the dependence of range on the transmission power create new opportunities for multicasting that need to be traded off against the interference caused by such transmissions. We address the ways in which the wireless network characteristics, as well as the constraints of limited energy, affect the multicast protocol operation. Preliminary trade-offs are provided, and future research directions are outlined