A Cross-Layered Path Stability Based Routing Protocol for WiMAX Networks

In IEEE 802.16, a Subscriber Station (SS) is battery powered with limited capacity. A SS can be made to operate for longer durations by deploying power saving features or by using relay stations. Multi-hop communication conserves power, but finding an optimal path to the destination is monotonous. Path stability indicates how stable a path is and how long it can support communication. Identifying stable paths helps in reducing the control traffic, number of connection disruptions and also in conserving power. In this study, Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing (GPSR) and Link-St Ability and Energy aware Routing (LAER) designed for Mobile Ad hoc NET works (MANETs) are implemented for WiMAX networks and their performance is evaluated. Further, a novel Cross-layered Path Stability based Routing protocol (CPSR) is proposed to find a stable path based on Residual Energy (RE), Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) and Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR). The total energy consumed is minimized, thus maximizing the network lifetime.