An Adaptive Backoff Algorithm for Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks

Collision is a common problem in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs). There are several backoff algorithms that have been proposed to avoid this problem. This paper proposes a new backoff algorithm called the Square Root Backoff (SRB). Moreover, it identifies that no algorithm can perform the best in all cases. Therefore, an adaptive strategy is proposed to choose the best backoff mechanism from a set of mechanisms based on network density and mobility parameters. The proposed adaptive algorithm is implemented in two phases, the offline phase and the online phase. Such design aims at reducing the time complexity of the algorithm by performing some of the computations prior to the actual deployment and of the network. Results from simulations demonstrate that the SRB algorithm achieved better performance than BEB and LB. Moreover, the adaptive backoff algorithm obtains the best throughput and end-to-end delay performance over the other backoff algorithms.