Root node attack in a WiMAX 802.16e network

In any wireless network, multihop communications save energy. Multicasting forms groups, in which the group head communicates with the Base Station directly. The group head collects the data and sends the aggregate to the command centre, the Base Station. The group head is highly prone to attacks than any other nodes. MAODV, an extension of AODV deals with multicasting in an ad hoc network. Once an attack is detected, the incorrect data should be prevented from reaching the Base Station at the earliest. If not, there will be a transmission overhead due to unnecessary transmissions. The RTT will also increase. The Base Station may accept the data without being aware of the packet loss. This will lead to a disaster in case of critical applications. This paper focuses on the root node attack in a multicast network in IEEE 802.16e, the mobile WiMAX. It addresses the issue of detecting the packet loss due to attacks at the group head. It reduces the total Round Trip Time (RTT), the time taken to send the valid data to the BS.