Robust position-based routing in wireless ad hoc networks with irregular transmission ranges

Several papers considered the problem of routing in ad hoc wireless networks using the positions of the mobile hosts. Perimeter routing [1,2] gives an algorithm that guarantees delivery of messages in such networks without the use of flooding of control packets. However, this protocol is likely to fail if the transmission ranges of the mobile hosts vary because of natural or man-made obstacles. It may fail because either some connections are not considered, which effectively results in a disconnection of the network, or because some crossing connections are used, which could misdirect the message. In this paper, we describe a robust routing protocol, a variant of perimeter routing, which tolerates up to 40% of variation in the transmission ranges of the mobile hosts. More precisely, our protocol guarantees message delivery in a connected ad hoc wireless network without the use of message flooding whenever the ratio of the maximum transmission range to the minimum transmission range is at most root2. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.