Optimizing UDP Packet Sizes in Ad Hoc Networks

While many research works have focused on improving TCP performance in ad hoc networks, little attention has been paid to UDP performance degradation. In this letter, a theory model is proposed, which is capable of formally explaining the UDP performance in ad hoc networks. With this model, it shows that to optimize UDP packet size is a multiple-object optimum problem in ad hoc networks and that system performance depends on communication hops, route stability and the traffic load. At last, a simplified model is used for simulation, and the results show that there exists a loose optimum range when the hop count and nodes´ mobility are pre-known.