Random and linear address allocation for mobile ad hoc networks

To join an IP network and communicate with others, a node needs to be configured either manually by an administrator or automatically through a DHCP server. However, the former method is impractical for large networks, while the latter is infeasible in the case of a mobile ad hoc network due to the mobility of the nodes. This paper introduces two distributed IP address auto-configuration mechanisms for mobile ad hoc networks, namely (a) RADA (random address allocation) and (b) LiA (linear allocation). RADA is based on random IP address selection, while LiA linearly assigns new addresses by utilizing the current maximum IP address value. We have also introduced an improved version of LiA, known as LiACR (linear allocation with collision resolution), which reduces control overhead. Then, we discuss extensions of these mechanisms capable of handling network partitioning and merging. Performance evaluations of RADA, LiA and LiACR were conducted through simulation. The results related to address allocation time and control overhead are presented and compared.