Infrastructure support for ad hoc networks: when and where?

Abstract

Currently, there are several attempts to connect ad hoc wireless networks with legacy infrastructured wireless networks. This paper is the initial work about how we can efficiently use an ad hoc wireless network with infrastructure from the view of ad hoc TCP. We propose new mathematical models of TCP over an ad hoc network, which mainly depends on hopcount, not congestion window size. Based on the new TCP models, we propose a cost-efficient position plan for base stations (BSs) and a route selection algorithm. The proposed position plan of BSs promises cost reduction with small performance trade-off. Our route selection algorithm makes the decision whether we should use infrastructure support or not. Roughly, a n-hop route using infrastructure support would be better than n/2-hop route only using a pure ad hoc wireless network. We evaluated the TCP models and the proposed infrastructure design principles using the Network Simulator 2.