Service architecture for integrating MANETs with heterogeneous IP networks

The multi-hop ad hoc network is promising to extend the reach of the current mobile Internet, and support ubiquitous computing. However, it is hindered by the lack of a flexible network structure to bridge the gap between MANETs and heterogeneous IP networks. The paper introduces a novel mobile peer-to-peer overlay as an enabling structure for uniting connectivity, mobility and services. Our proposed service architecture allows mobile users to build networks on-the-fly, and capitalize relevant resources in their vicinity for universal communications. A practical implementation of the system prototype demonstrates that our proposed framework lays a solid foundation for developing an integrated mobile Internet and ubiquitous computing.