Dynamic Address Configuration in Mobile Ad hoc Networks

The majority of routing protocols for ad hoc networks assume thatmobile nodes are configured {\\em a priori} with unique IP addressesbefore they enter a network; however, not all nodes have pre-assignedstatic IP addresses. Therefore, dynamic address assignment is adesirable feature for deploying mobile ad hoc networks. Typically,dynamic configuration in a wired network is accomplished by using theDynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). In mobile ad hoc networks,however, there is no fixed infrastructure and nodes do not have accessto a centralized server to acquire IP addresses. Further, due to nodemobility, network partitions and merges are frequent occurrences.Such events create the possibility of duplicate addresses within thenetwork. Therefore, a centralized approach cannot be applied in thesenetworks; a distributed and dynamic mechanism is needed for nodes toacquire and maintain a unique IP address in mobile ad hocnetworks. This paper presents an address autoconfiguration protocol toprovide address assignment to mobile nodes during the formation andmaintenance of ad hoc networks. Simulation results show that mobilenodes can acquire unique IP addresses within a short time with minimumoverhead, and the protocol operates correctly and quickly to detectnetwork partitions and merges.