On Route Discovery Success in Ad hoc Networks

The lack of infrastructure inherent to wireless ad hoc networks leads to the problem of distributed route discovery and maintenance. We introduce an analytical model and perform a quantitative analysis of the route discovery process (RDP) in wireless ad hoc networks. Bounds on RDP performance in terms of pertinent system parameters are determined. We apply our analytical RDP model to specific system models and compare analytical results with those obtained by numerical simulations. Our results give insight into the sustainable level of RDP in an ad hoc network and allude to the possible impact on throughput as seen in a companion paper.