A comparison of reliable multicast protocols for mobile ad hoc networks

Reliable multicast plays a significant role in many applications of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). In recent years, a number of protocols have been proposed to deliver multicast packets reliably. These protocols have shown distinguishing features and have used different recovery mechanisms. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of these protocols, we present in this paper a survey of the protocols and compare the advantages and disadvantages of different design features as well as protocol performance. The protocols being surveyed are classified into three categories, namely, ARQ-based, gossip-based and FEC-based.