Wireless Ad-Hoc Networking By Jared Lester

What is Ad-Hoc Networking? A wireless ad-hoc network is a decentralized wireless network. Meaning it doesn’t rely on routers or access points. Each node communicates by forwarding data to other nodes. Think peer-to-peer. Which node forwards data is based on current network connectivity and made dynamically.

Setting Up To setup an Ad-hoc network each wireless adapter must be configured for Ad-hoc mode instead of infrastructure mode. All wireless have to use the same SSID (Service Set Identifier) and channel number. Can not bridge to a wired LAN or the Internet without a special gateway.

Utilization Ad-hoc networks tend to have small groups of devices in close range of each other. As the network grows performance declines. Used to build quick all-wireless LANs quickly with minimum cost.

Classifications Mobile ad-hoc network - is a self-configuring network of mobile devices connected by wireless links. Each device is able to move independently in any direction and change its links to other devices. The main challenge for this network is the device must maintain the information required to route traffic correctly.

Mobile Ad-hoc network

Classifications (cont’d) Vehicular Ad-hoc networks – used in the communication between vehicles and road equipment. Intelligent vehicular ad-hoc networks – intelligent network that helps vehicles to behave in a manner during collisions and accidents.

Classifications (cont’d) Wireless sensor networks – distributed sensors that monitor physical or environmental conditions. These sensors are used to measure sound, motion and pollutants. Each of these sensors supports multi-hop routing which several nodes may forward data to the base.

Wireless Sensor Networks