Routing characteristics of ad hoc networks with unidirectional links

Unidirectional links in an ad hoc network can result from factors such as heterogeneity of receiver and transmitter hardware, power control or topology control algorithms, or differing sources of interference or jamming. Previously proposed metrics for evaluating the difficulty of a unidirectional scenario are limited in scope and are frequently misleading. To be able to analyze ad hoc network routing protocol behavior in a complex networking environment, it is not sufficient to merely assign a single level of difficulty to a unidirectional network scenario; the many interrelated routing characteristics of these scenarios must be understood. In this paper, we develop a set of metrics for describing these characteristics, for example for characterizing routing scenarios in simulations, analysis, and testbed implementations. Based on these metrics, we perform a detailed simulation analysis of the routing characteristics of the three most common simulation models for generating unidirectional links in ad hoc networks: the random-power model, the two-power model, and the three-power model. Our findings enable protocol designers to better choose a set of network scenarios and parameters that truly explore a wide range of a routing protocol’s behaviors in the presence of unidirectional links, and to better understand the complex interplay between routing mechanisms and network conditions.