A Comparative Study of Various Ant Colony Based Routing Algorithms for Mobile Ad hoc Network

A Mobile Adhoc Network is a group of wireless mobile computers in which nodes cooperate by forwarding packets for each other to allow them to communicate beyond direct wireless transmission range. Mobile Ad-Hoc Network (MANET) [1] is a collection of wireless mobile nodes forming a temporary network without using centralized access points, infrastructure, or centralized administration. The basic approach for routing in MANET roam around the proactive and reactive algorithms for MANETs. DSR and AODV are reactive algorithms establishing paths only when they are needed. When a node has some data to send to another node, it searches for a path by flooding the network with control messages. Their dissemination introduces some delay before data packets can be sent and reactive routing algorithms are inefficient when there is much continuous but intermittent traffic in the network. DSDV on the other hand, is a typical proactive routing algorithm. They prepare paths to all destination nodes beforehand and maintain them by exchanging control messages periodically. They require a network to carry a lot of control traffic into a network.

Swarm intelligence [1] is the discipline that deals with natural and artificial systems composed of many individuals that coordinate using decentralized control and self-organization. Ant Colony Optimization is famous among other Swarm Intelligent Techniques. Ants-based routing algorithms have a very keen attention of researchers because they are more robust, reliable, and scalable than other conventional routing algorithms.

In this paper a detailed comparison of different Ant based algorithms is presented. The algorithms discussed here are Ant Based Control Routing, Ant Colony based Routing Algorithm Routing, Probabilistic Emergent Routing Algorithm, AntHocNet, AntNet.