A root-based strategy for constructing a clustered MANET in all-IP networks

Due to the popularity of Wireless LAN, the deployment of a flexible WLAN with IP services is a new trend for wireless Internet. The Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) can easily be set up in any environment without any base station. In this paper, we propose a root-based mechanism for constructing a clustered MANET in all-IP networks. To support all-IP networks, the integration of Mobile IP and the root-based clustering MANET will be presented. The routing strategy of the root-based constructing strategy, denoted as Modified Cluster head Gateway Switch Routing (MCGSR), is based on the virtual backbone of the clustered MANET. In this routing strategy, the maintenance cost of the routing information in the virtual backbone will be smaller than that of CGSR. The simulation results show that the root-based strategy with MCGSR routing significantly outperforms both the DSDV and LCC with CGSR routing in terms of the stability of virtual backbones, memory overheads, and control messages overheads.