A survey on dependable routing in sensor networks, ad hoc networks, and cellular networks

The class of wireless and mobile networks features a dissimilar set of characteristics and constraints compared to traditional fixed networks. The various dimensions of these characteristics/constraints strongly influence the routing system, which is often regarded as the glue of a network. We introduce the concept of routing dependability describing the trustworthiness of a routing system such that reliance can justifiably be placed on the consistency of behavior and performance of the routing service delivered. We investigate this concept by analyzing the basic characteristics of various networks. Subsequently, we derive the most important attributes and impairments that contribute to routing dependability in sensor networks, ad hoc networks, and infrastructure-based cellular networks. Departing from state-of-the-art network designs, we extend our survey to cover future network architectures as well. We finish by briefly investigating possible directions and means that allow mitigating the deprivation of dependability.