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Analysis of TCP Performance over Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

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Abstract

Mobile ad hoc networks have attracted attention lately as a means of providing continuous network connectivity to mobile computing devices regardless of physical location. Recent research has focused primarily on the routing protocols needed in such an environment. In this paper, we investigate the effects that link breakage due to mobility has on TCP performance. Through simulation, we show that TCP throughput drops significantly when nodes move, due to TCP's inability to recognize the difference between link failure and congestion. We also analyze specific examples, such as a situation where throughput is zero for a particular connection. We introduce a new metric, expected throughput, for the comparison of throughput in multi-hop networks, and then use this metric to show how the use of explicit link failure notification (ELFN) techniques can significantly improve TCP performance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-3112, USA

    Gavin Holland

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA

    Nitin Vaidya

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  1. Gavin Holland
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  2. Nitin Vaidya
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Holland, G., Vaidya, N. Analysis of TCP Performance over Mobile Ad Hoc Networks. Wireless Networks 8, 275–288 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013798127590

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