A performance analysis of source routing-based multicast protocol (SRMP) using different mobility models

Abstract

We focus on one critical issue in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) that is multicast routing. In fact, optimal routes, stable links, power conservation, loop freedom, and reduced channel overhead are the main features to be addressed in a more efficient multicast mechanism. MANETs are often analyzed through simulations and their performance results depend slightly on simulation network parameters including traffic generation models, radio transmission parameters and mobility models. In this paper we evaluate the performance of our proposed multicast routing protocol, named source routing-based multicast protocol (SRMP). SRMP constructs a mesh to connect group members, providing robustness against mobility. It also provides stable paths based on links availability according to future prediction of links state, and higher battery life paths tending to power conserving. We present a full performance evaluation and analysis for SRMP under realistic conditions including, realistic movements of mobile nodes in the form of different mobility models. We present our simulation results that illustrate the importance of choosing a mobility model in the simulation. Specifically, we illustrate the effect of choosing the mobility model on the performance results.