An ad hoc network is a collection of wireless mobile nodes dynamically forming a temporary network without the use of any existing network infrastructure or centralized administration. Due to the limited transmission range of wireless network interfaces, multiple network "hops " may be needed for one node to exchange data with another across the network. In recent years, a variety of new routing protocols targeted specifically at this environment have been developed, but little performance information on each protocol and no realistic performance comparison between them is available. This paper presents the results of a detailed packet-level simulation comparing four multi-hop wireless ad hoc network routing protocols that cover a range of design choices: DSDV, TORA, DSR, and AODV. We have extended the ns-2 network simulator to accurately model the MAC and physical-layer behavior of the IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN standard, including a realistic wireless transmission channel model, and present the results of simulations of networks of 50 mobile nodes. 1

This document describes each of the pieces we have added to ns , and gives some examples of how they can be used. This document assumes the reader is very familiar with using ns already, and it is not a substitute for reading and understanding the source. More information on our extensions to ns, and description of some of our results based on the simulator, can be found in a paper published in Mobicom98 [2]. Our extensions to ns are based on the ns-2.1b1 release. We would welcome feedback, improvements, and bug fixes at monarch@monarch.cs.cmu.edu.

Ad hoc networks are characterized by dynamic topology caused by node mobility, multihop wireless connectivity and channel non-deterministic behavior (interference, multipath, hidden and exposed node problem make the wireless channel very difficult to predict). The behavior of ad hoc networks must be analyzed in detail as a result of the pairing of the selected MAC and Routing protocols. We focus our studies in the routing layer while closely observing the developments in MAC layer. We present and examine analytical simulation results for the routing protocols DSR, TORA and ZRP especially focusing in ZRP and the impact of some of its most important attributes to network performance, using the well known network simulator OPNET 10.0.PL2. 1.

Ad hoc networks are characterized by dynamic topology caused by node mobility, multihop wireless connectivity and channel non deterministic behaviour (Interference, multipath, hidden and exposed node problem makes the wireless channel very difficult to predict)This behaviour of Ad hoc networks must be analyzed in detail as a result of pairing of the selected MAC and Routing protocols. We focus our studies in the routing layer while closely observing the developments in MAC layer. We present and examine analytical simulation results for the routing protocols DSR, AODV and ZRP, especially focusing in ZRP and the impact of some of its most important attributes to network performance, using the well known network simulator QualNet.