Probabilistic Second-Chance Broadcasting With/Without Global Positioning System Information in Wireless Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract

A flooding algorithm aims to distribute messages to all nodes within the mobile environment. In a simple flooding scheme, every node broadcasts a newly received message. However, this simple mechanism generates massive redundant messages, which is referred to as the broadcast storm problem. To ease the negative effect of the broadcast storm problem, we proposed a novel scheme, Probabilistic Second-chance broadcasting with/without Global positioning system information (PSG) in wireless ad hoc networks, which amalgamates the merits of probability-based and location-based flooding algorithms. PSG eases the broadcast storm problem by reducing the total number of transmissions and does not require hello messages from neighboring nodes, yet achieves better results than Multipoint Relaying Flooding (MPR), a neighbor-knowledge-based flooding scheme, by accurately determining whether subsequent forwarding is advantageous while a node receives a broadcasting message. We also discuss the advantages of a two-phase/second-time algorithm and utilize a simplified topology to further explain and demonstrate the merits of second-time broadcasting. We compare our PSG scheme with the simple flooding scheme, the probabilistic schemes with different pre-assigned probabilities, and the MPR schemes with or without the overhead of hello messages. The simulation results show that our scheme demands fewer forwarding nodes to rebroadcast messages and therefore lowers the total number of transmissions. PSG scales down a large number of collisions and attains high delivery ratios compared to other flooding algorithms.