An enhanced MANETs clustering algorithm based on node performances

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a wireless network without the support of any fixed infrastructure. Security is one of the main challenges in ad hoc network due to dynamic topology and mobility of nodes. Organizing mobile nodes into manageable clusters can limit the amount of secure routing information. Under a cluster structure, mobile nodes are managed by nodes called cluster heads. The cluster-head role is resource consuming since it´s always switched on and is responsible for the long-range transmission. In this paper, we present a clustering algorithm based on node performances, a scheme to improve the cluster by electing a better cluster head using a threshold of performance. This solution will be used to manage cryptographic keys in an ad hoc network. Our algorithm gives major improvements regarding the number and the performance of elected cluster heads. Analysis and simulation results are used to show the performance of our algorithm, compared with other clustering algorithms in literature.