Joint multi-cost routing and power control in wireless ad hoc networks

Abstract

In this work we study the combination of multi-cost routing and adjustable transmission power in wireless ad hoc networks, so as to obtain dynamic energy- and interference-efficient routes to optimize network performance. In multi-cost routing, a vector of cost parameters is assigned to each network link, from which the cost vectors of candidate paths are calculated. Only at the end these parameters are combined in various optimization functions, corresponding to different routing algorithms, for selecting the optimal path. The multi-cost routing problem is a generalization of the multi-constrained problem, where no constraints exist, and is also significantly more powerful than single-cost routing. Since energy is an important limitation of wireless communications, the cost parameters considered are the number of hops, the interference caused, the residual energy and the transmission power of the nodes on the path; other parameters could also be included, as desired. We assume that nodes can use power control to adjust their transmission power to the desired level. The experiments conducted show that the combination of multi-cost routing and adjustable transmission power can lead to reduced interference and energy consumption, improving network performance and lifetime.