Abstract: The performance of an IEEE 802.11b ad-hoc network that uses the AODV (Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vector) routing protocol is evaluated. One significant issue relating to the behavior of WLAN cards that has considerable impact on AODV performance was observed during the initial testing of the system and it is discussed and a solution proposed. Some aspects of the network performance are then assessed for several scenarios with low mobility. Route discovery latency results indicate that it is possible for mobile applications to operate reasonably well over ad-hoc networks in light to moderate traffic. UDP throughput results indicate that such networks could support tens of users using low-bit rate applications or possibly higher bit rates if applications generate data in bursts. Finally, some problems with TCP operating in this context were observed.
Keywords: Ad hoc networking, routing, IEEE 802.11b