Multiclass Routing and Medium Access Control for Heterogeneous Mobile Ad hoc Networks

Power heterogeneity is common in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). With high power nodes, MANETs can improve network scalability, connectivity and broadcasting robustness. However, the throughput of power heterogeneous MANETs could be severely impacted by high-power nodes. To address this issue, we present LRPH, a loose virtual clustering Based Routing protocol for Power Heterogeneous MANETs. In particular, to explore the advantages of high-power nodes, we develop a loose virtual clustering algorithm to construct a hierarchical network and eliminate unidirectional links. To reduce the interference raised by high-power nodes, we develop routing algorithms to avoid packet forwarding via high-power nodes. Via the combination of analytical modeling, simulations, and real-world experiments, we demonstrate the effectiveness of LRPH on improving the performance of power heterogeneous MANETs.