Energy-Efficient Routing Mechanism For Wanet To Enhance Network Performance

Abstract

Wireless communication can be facilitated through either infrastructure-dependent or infrastructure-free
methods. Wireless ad hoc networks (WANETs) represent a form of infrastructure-free communication in wireless
technology. These networks consist of mobile wireless devices distributed within a radio communication area.
Devices can directly communicate if they are within each other’s radio range. When devices are outside each other's
radio range, they must rely on other devices to relay communication, causing MANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Network)
devices to act as routers. For this routing function, nodes require adequate resources, such as buffer space, energy,
and processing power. Energy is a particularly constrained resource in MANETs, especially given their primary
applications in military operations, disaster relief, and law enforcement, where recharging or replacing batteries
during missions is often impractical. To address this, various energy-efficient mechanisms have been developed at
different communication layers. Routing is a key strategy for managing energy resources in MANETs.
Consequently, several energy-aware routing protocols have been created to optimize energy use in these networks.
This paper reviews various energy-efficient routing protocols for MANETs and evaluates their performance based
on different metrics. It specifically focuses on routing protocols that consider the residual energy of nodes. To
assess network performance, we use Network Simulator 2 (NS-2). The results from this study provide insights for
future research aimed at designing energy-efficient communication protocols to extend the network lifetime of
MANETs.