Intelligent ambient ad hoc networking to support real-time services

The widespread development of wireless networking and the numerous possible applications of ad hoc networking, including the densification of a 3G system, push for the support of real-time applications in ad hoc networks. Since wireless resources are much scarcer than fixed ones, it is necessary to design new schemes to improve QoS and optimize network performance. In this article, we address the need of a cross-layer QoS management combined with a new ad-hoc routing protocol, in order to support real-time services. We analyze several methods for providing QoS in ad hoc networks depending on the layer at which QoS is being considered, and the routing protocol that is used. We argue that a cross-layer QoS management is needed and we propose a new routing protocol that uses a high quality reliable network core made up of dedicated routers. The results show that the combination of this routing scheme with the cross-layer QoS performs best. Actually, bandwidth remains very stable while maintaining a low delay and jitter that are perfectly acceptable for interactive multimedia applications; at the same time, the aggregated bandwidth of the ad hoc network is significantly improved.