AODV routing in ad hoc networks with variable data rates

In tactical operations, the capacity of a mobile radio network is of paramount importance. It is thus essential that the resources in the network are utilized as efficiently as possible. In a heterogeneous ad hoc network, where each link can have different possible data rates, a routing protocol should efficiently be able to take the data rate of each link into account when determining which route should be used. Reactive routing protocols, contrary to proactive routing protocols´, usually do not compare different route options. Instead the "first" found route is used. When choosing the most efficient route over links with variable data rates, comparing routes is necessary. In this report we show that it is possible to add a metric that takes this into account to a reactive routing protocol (AODV). However, the inherent properties of AODV made optimization of the routes problematic and maximum throughput is thus not achieved. Better results may be obtained but this will add more complexity to the routing protocol and cause more routing traffic. It is thus important to consider the total cost and gain of capacity in the network when evaluating the benefit of such an algorithm modification.