A Dialogue-based MAC Protocol for Efficient Broadcasting in Ad Hoc Networks

This paper proposes a MAC protocol for efficient broadcasting in ad hoc networks. Since pure flooding leads to serious redundant rebroadcasts, packet contention and packet collision, known as the broadcast storm problem, this paper focuses on how to reduce redundant rebroadcasts. Several broadcast protocols periodically exchange hello packets to predetermine effective sets of rebroadcasting nodes, e.g., multipoint relay (MPR) flooding. On the other hand, we propose an on-demand broadcast protocol, which is referred as dialogue-based protocol in order to reduce the redundancy with less overheads and maintaining high reachability. The dialogue-based scheme employs alternative overheads, e.g., request packets and reply signals, instead of hello packets. Request packets and reply signals are exchanged in an on-demand manner in order that relay nodes recognize its neighbor nodes state whether they have already received broadcast packets. Finally, this paper presents some simulation results to show the efficiency of the dialogue-based protocol compared to the pure flooding and the MPR flooding using hello packet.