S-MECRA: a secure energy-efficient routing protocol for wireless ad hoc networks

In wireless ad hoc networks, data packets have to be relayed via energy-constrained nodes. The nodes have limited initial energy that is consumed at different rates depending on the power level and the intended receiver. We propose a minimum energy cost routing algorithm (MECRA), which selects the routes and the corresponding power levels, maximizing the battery life of the nodes. In order to maximize the lifetime, the traffic is routed such that the energy consumption is balanced among the nodes in proportion to their energy reserves, instead of routing to minimize the absolute energy consumption. Simulation results show the superiority of our algorithm, in terms of energy savings and overall network lifetime, over the existing ones like MTPR and MBCR (Toh, C.-K., IEEE Commun. Magazine, p.138-47, 2001). We extend MECRA to handle selfishness of nodes, by developing a secure and energy-efficient routing protocol (S-MECRA). S-MECRA considers the node reputation while making routing decisions. It results in selection of routes that are both energy-efficient and reliable.