INTERNATIONAL BURCH UNIVERSITY

Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences

Department of Information Technology

CEN 263: Computer Networks

Research Project

MANET - Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Student name:
No. of index:

Sarajevo, 20nd of January 2022

 CONTENTS

ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................................4
INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................................5
1. GENERAL ABOUT MANET...............................................................................................................6
1.1. Ad Hoc Network Overview............................................................................................................6
1.2. Mobile Ad Hoc Networks...............................................................................................................7
1.3. Characteristics of MANET............................................................................................................8
1.4. Aplications of MANET...................................................................................................................9
2. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF MANET.................................................................11
2.1. Advantages of MANET................................................................................................................11
2.2. Limitation of MANET..................................................................................................................12
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................15

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List of tables

Table 2. 1 Advantages and disadvantages of MANET..............................................................................11

List of figures

Figure 1. 1 Transmission area in ad hoc.....................................................................................................6

Figure 1. 2 Mobile Ad Hoc Networks.........................................................................................................7

Figure 2. 1 Black hole attack....................................................................................................................13

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 ABSTRACT

A Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) is a collection of two or more wireless devices, nodes, or
terminals that communicate with each other without the assistance of a centralized administrator,
as well as wireless nodes that can dynamically form a network to exchange information without
using any existing fixed network infrastructure.
Mobile Ad hoc Networks, or MANETs, are increasingly helpful in locations where there is little
or no infrastructure accessible, or when current wireless infrastructure is expensive and hard to
use. They'll be an important part of next-generation mobile services. A MANET is a network
made up of wireless nodes that can dynamically build a network to exchange data without the
need for any pre-existing fixed network infrastructure. The unique characteristics of MANET
combine to make this technology a huge opportunity as well as a significant problem.

Key words: Ad hoc, network, mobile network, MANET

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 INTRODUCTION

Communication technologies and services have progressed in recent years. People want to
communicate from and to anyplace at any time, therefore mobility has become highly vital.
Wireless ad hoc networks are made up of a group of wireless nodes that communicate across a
shared wireless channel. No infrastructure, such as a base station or a wired access point, is
required for the nodes to communicate. The networks must be established in a dispersed and
decentralized manner. As a result, the nodes themselves are the source of network complexity.
The nodes must be capable of resolving network issues like routing and security. Despite the
technical obstacles, ad hoc networks have grown in popularity in recent years because they
support mobility and are ideally suited for a variety of tough situations, such as rescue missions,
military operations, vehicle communications, and so on. In this overview article, I discuss the
notion of wireless ad hoc networks, particularly mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs), as well as
their design, aims, applications, benefits, drawbacks, and comparisons to infrastructure networks.

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1. GENERAL ABOUT MANET

1.1. Ad Hoc Network Overview

The term ad hoc comes from the Latin phrase ad hoc, which meaning "for this (only)." Ad hoc
networks are wireless networks without infrastructure that can be referred to as spontaneous
networks in the context of computer networks. Comparing ad hoc networks to infrastructure-
based wireless networks like cellular networks and WLANs is one way to comprehend them. A
node can only deliver a packet to a target node via an access point in infrastructure-based
wireless networks (in cellular network like GSM, it is called base station). The access point
creates a network area in which only the nodes in that area are allowed to use the access point's
services. There are certain unidentified occurrences that cause access points to fail. The nodes
lose their network and are effectively unusable. It is the most serious flaw in the infrastructure.
Wireless ad hoc networks are made up entirely of nodes having transceivers. The network was
built to be self-contained from infrastructure. As a result, nodes must be able to construct their
own networks. Remember that a node can now only communicate with nodes inside its
transmission range. The nodes in an infrastructure-based wireless network can connect with a
node in a different network area by sending data to a destination access point, which then relays
the data to the target node. It appears that ad hoc networks are insufficiently powerful. Each node
has its own transmission range; when these small transmission areas are merged, a significantly
larger transmission area is created.

Figure 1. 1
Transmission area in ad hoc

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The nodes use a single or multiple hopping technique to send their data. Now, a proper routing
algorithm must be designed in order to improve the efficiency of data transmission.

1.2. Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANET) are emerging as a result of the growing use of wireless
portable devices such as phones and laptops, allowing for spontaneous or ad hoc wireless
communication (MANET). A mobile Ad hoc network (MANET) is a self-configuring network
that requires no pre-existing (fixed) infrastructure, reducing implementation time and cost. Due
to the fact that each node in this network is free to migrate, the network's topology is constantly
changing. As demonstrated in Fig 1.1., these infrastructure-free mobile nodes in ad hoc networks
dynamically build routes among themselves to form their own wireless network. MANET is one
of the most active study subjects in the last ten years. Ad hoc networks will play a significant
role in allowing present and future communication as wireless technology evolve and mobile
devices become more advanced.

Figure 1. 2 Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Mobile radio technology have grown rapidly in both video and data communication. A MANET
is a dynamic wireless network made up of a collection of mobile hosts that communicate over
the air without the use of any pre-existing infrastructure. Each MANET node can function as
both a router and a host. All participating nodes in a mobile ad-hoc network must execute
network traffic routing in order to retain connectivity.
The success of communication is heavily reliant on the collaboration of other odes. As a result,
MANET has the property of rapid infrastructure-less deployment and no centralized controller,
making it convenient for people and vehicles to connect to the internet in areas where there is no
pre-existing communication infrastructure or where the use of such infrastructure necessitates

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wireless extension. Ad hoc networks offer multi-hop routing by expanding the range of mobile
nodes. Range is determined by the number of wireless users.

1.3. Characteristics of MANET

A mobile ad hoc network is made up of self-contained and mobile pieces such as a laptop,
smartphone, tablet PC, and so on.
The mobile nodes can self-organize in any temporary network configuration they want. There is
no pre-existing infrastructure, hence there is no obvious limit. The following are some of
MANET's primary characteristics:
Infrastructure less
MANET is an infrastructure-less system that does not have a central server, specialized
hardware, or fixed routers. Wireless connection is used for all communication between nodes.
Wireless Links
Mobile Ad Hoc Networks are unreliable and vulnerable to many types of assaults due to wireless
connectivity. Because wireless nodes have limited power supplies and are movable, the wireless
links between them in a mobile ad hoc network are inconsistent for communication participants.
Node Movement
Mobile nodes are self-contained network elements that vary their position and topology on their
own. Because nodes are constantly moving, the topology changes regularly, making it difficult to
trace down a specific node. The nodes are easily able to leave or enter the radio range of other
nodes. As nodes' mobility becomes more random, their routing information changes on a regular
basis.
Power limitation
The mobile hosts are compact and portable. Limited power resources, such as tiny batteries, are
used to power them. This restriction is a vulnerability since it allows attackers to target certain
node batteries and disconnect them, potentially causing network partition. Some attacks may
attempt to engage mobile nodes needlessly so that they continue to exhaust their batteries
prematurely.
Dynamic topologies
Nodes are free to move arbitrarily, thus the network topology may change randomly and rapidly
at unpredictable times, and may consist of both bidirectional and unidirectional links.

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Self-Configuring
MANET's infrastructure is decentralized, with all mobile nodes acting as routers and all wireless
devices connecting to one another. MANET is a self-configuring network in which network
functions such as topology discovery and message delivery are carried out by the nodes
themselves.

Bandwidth-constrained and variable capacity links

The capacity of wireless links is much lower than that of hardwired links. The capacity of a
wireless link can decrease with time due to the impacts of multiple access, fading, noise, and
interference situations, and the effective throughput may be less than the radio's maximum
transmission capacity.
Energy-constrained operation
Some or all of the nodes in a MANET may rely on batteries or other exhaustible means for their
energy. For those nodes, the most important system design criteria for optimization may be
energy conservation.
Limited physical security
Mobile wireless networks are more vulnerable to physical security concerns than fixed-cable
networks. It's important to think about the increased risk of eavesdropping, spoofing, and denial-
of-service assaults. These features result in a set of underlying assumptions and performance
concerns for protocol design that go beyond those driving the design of routing within the fixed
internet's higher-speed, semi-static architecture.

1.4. Aplications of MANET

Ad hoc networking can be used anywhere there is a lack of or cumbersome use of existing
communication infrastructure. Ad hoc networking allows us to keep our devices connected to the
network while also allowing us to effortlessly add and remove devices from the network.
MANET can be used in a wide range of situations where traditional networking cannot be used.
The MANET system is used in the following areas:

Military battlefield
The new digital battlefield necessitates a variety of means of powerful and reliable
communication. Soldiers require it on the battlefield to communicate information linked to
situational awareness.

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Sensor Networks
Another application of MANETs is sensor networks. This technique consists of a huge number
of tiny sensors connected in a network. These can be used to detect a wide range of qualities in a
given space. Temperature, pressure, poisons, pollutions, and other factors are examples.
Measurement of ground humidity for agriculture and earthquake forecasting are examples of
applications. Each sensor's capabilities are severely constrained, and it must rely on others to
provide data to a central computer.

Disaster Area Network

Ad hoc can be utilized in disaster relief efforts, such as in the event of a fire, flood, or
earthquake. Where there is no or damaged communications infrastructure, emergency rescue
activities must take place, as well as the speedy development of a communication network. A
small handheld device is used to communicate information from one rescue team member to
another.
Personal Area Network
Personal Area Networks (PANs) are formed between various mobile devices mainly in an ad-hoc
manner, e.g. for creating a home network. They can remain an autonomous network,
interconnecting various devices, at home, for example, but PANs will become more meaningful
when connected to a larger network.

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2. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF MANET

The table below shows some of the advantages and disadvantages of MANET.

ADVENTAGES DISADVENTAGES
Router Free Bandwidth Constraints
Mobility Processing capability
Speed Energy constraints
Fault Tolerance High Latency
Connectivity Transmission Errors
Fast Installation Security
Cost Location
Roaming
Commercially Unavailable

Table 2. 1 Advantages and disadvantages of MANET

2.1. Advantages of MANET

Router Free
The main benefit of using an ad hoc network is that it allows you to connect to the internet
without the use of a wireless router. Because we don't have to pay for a router, running an ad hoc
network can be less expensive than running a standard network.
Mobility
The wireless mobile nodes can move in different directions at the same time. Although the
routing algorithm can handle this problem, performance simulations demonstrate that there is a
point at which node mobility becomes so high that protocol functioning fails.

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Speed
It only takes a few settings tweaks and no additional gear or software to set up an ad hoc network
from scratch. An ad hoc network is a good choice if you need to connect several machines fast
and efficiently.
Fault Tolerance
Because routing and transmission protocols are intended to handle connection failures, MANET
accommodates them.
Connectivity
Due to the collaboration between nodes in the duty of delivering packets, the usage of centralized
points or gateways is not required for communication inside the MANET.
Fast Installation
MANETs provide a great level of flexibility because they don't require any prior installation or
infrastructure and may be set up and taken down in a short period of time.
Cost
In some circumstances, MANETs may be more cost-effective since they eliminate fixed
infrastructure expenditures and minimize power usage at mobile nodes.

2.2. Limitation of MANET

Bandwidth Constraints
Wireless links always have a lower capacity than their cable counterparts. Indeed, conventional
LANs can reach speeds of several gigabits per second, whereas commercial wireless LAN
applications are often limited to 2 Mbps.
Processing capability
The majority of AND nodes are devices without a strong CPU. Furthermore, network duties such
as routing and data transmission cannot deplete the power resources of devices that are intended
to perform other purposes, such as sensing.
Energy constraints
The power of the batteries is restricted in all of the devices, preventing the nodes from operating
indefinitely. As a result, energy should not be squandered, which is why some energy-saving
algorithms (such as COPOW, PARO, and MBCR) have been introduced.
High Latency

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When no data has to be transmitted, nodes in an energy-efficient design slumber or idle. When
data is exchanged between two nodes via sleeping nodes, the delay may be increased if the
routing algorithm determines that these nodes must wake up.
Transmission Errors
Other aspects of the wireless link that enhance the error rate are attenuation and interference.
Security
Analyzes some of MANET's potential weaknesses and attacks. The authors separate possible
attacks between passive attacks, in which the attacker listens to routing traffic for important
information, and active assaults, in which the attacker injects random packets into the network
with a suggestion such as network disabling.
Location
Another issue for the network layer in MANET is addressing, because the information about the
location of the IP addressing used in fixed networks provides some routing services that cannot
be used in MANET. The way a node is addressed in a MANET has nothing to do with its
location.
Roaming
Because the network connectivity graph is constantly changing, fixed network roaming
techniques are no longer applicable in MANET, as they are reliant on the existence of assured
pathways to a specific destination.
Commercially Unavailable
MANET is still a long way from being commercially deployed on a big scale.

Figure 2. 1 Black hole attack

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CONCLUSION

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 REFERENCES

[1] Cordeiro D. M and Agrawal, D. P., “Mobile ad hoc networking, Center for Distributed
and Mobile Computing”, (2002), ECECS, University of Cincinnati
[2] Dipobagio M. “An Overview on Ad Hoc Networks”, Institute of Computer Science (ICS)
(https://www.mi.fu-berlin.de/inf/groups/ag-tech/teaching/2008-
09_WS/S_19565_Proseminar_Technische_Informatik/dipobagio09overview.pdf, date of
access: 11.12.2021)
[3] Samaram S. “MANET (Mobile Ad hoc Networks)”, (2013)
(https://www.scribd.com/document/119585306/MANET-Mobile-Ad-hoc-Networks, date
of access: 13.12.2021)
[4] Bakshi A., Sharma A.K., Mishra A.,“Significance of Mobile AD-HOC Networks
(MANETS)”, 2013, International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring
Engineering (https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?
doi=10.1.1.675.2927&rep=rep1&type=pdf, date of access: 13.12.2021)
[5] Roy A., Deb T. “Performance Comparison of Routing Protocols in Mobile Ad Hoc
Networks”, (2018) (https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-10-6890-
4_4#citeas , date of access: 11.12.2021)

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