Abstract. This paper gives a simple continuum model for generic proactive routing protocols in a mobile ad-hoc network. Rate constants characterize the routing protocol and the network mobility. We obtain analytic expressions for the rate at which routing tables approach equilibrium. The slowest rate depends only on the routing protocol and not on the mobility. The model also gives an analytic expression for the fraction of valid entries in a typical routing table, which is shown to degrade gracefully with increasing mobility. The model suggests a strategy for tuning a routing protocol for changes in mobility.
Ernst W. Grundke