MANET Routing Protocols with Emphasis on Zone Routing Protocol – an Overview

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) play a key role in communication. Routing protocols for MANETs have been highly studied and researched upon. This paper reviews the current best-known techniques for routing in such networks, which comprise reactive, proactive and hybrid routing techniques. We especially emphasize the hybrid routing protocol, namely the Zone Routing Protocol (ZRP) and entail its detailed architecture. Furthermore, the contribution of various researchers related to different variants of ZRP is elaborated. A comprehensive comparison of various implementations of different routing protocols is presented. This would help researchers and practitioners to identify the most suitable algorithm for particular applications.