The Impact of Radio Propagation Models on Ad Hoc Networks Performances

Problem statement: Wireless networks are characterized by a dynamic topology triggered by the nodes mobility. Thus, the wireless multi-hops connection and the channel do not have determinist behaviour such as: Interference or multiple paths. Moreover, the nodes’ invisibility makes the wireless channel difficult to detect. This wireless networks’ behaviour should be scrutinized. Approach: In our study, we mainly focus on radio propagation models by observing the evolution of the routing layer‘s performances in terms of the characteristics of the physical layer. Results: For this purpose, we first examine and then display the simulation findings of the impact of different radio propagation models on the performance of ad hoc networks. To fully understand how these various radio models influence the networks performance, we have compared the performances of several routing protocols (DSR, AODV and DSDV) for each propagation model. In order to reach credible results, we focused on the notion of nodes’ speed and the number of connections by using the well known network simulator NS-2. Conclusion: To conclude, the simulation findings are to be taken as a strong reference on the three routing protocols’ behaviour; however, it shouldn’t be considered as an exact representation of its behaviour and real environment because of several simulation constraints such as: the dimension of movement field of mobile nodes, the traffic type and the simulation timing.