MANETconf: Configuration of hosts in a mobile ad hoc network

Abstract—A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a multi-hop wireless network capable of autonomous operation. The mobility of MANET nodes can lead to frequent and unpredictable topology changes. Most MANET literature assumes that network related information of a node (such as its IP address, netmask, etc.) is configured statically, prior to the node join-ing the MANET. However, not all nodes have IP addresses permanently assigned to them. Such nodes rely on a centralized server and use a dy-namic host configuration protocol, like DHCP [1], to acquire an IP address. Such a solution cannot be employed in MANETs due to the unavailability of any centralized DHCP server. In this paper, we first present a survey of possible solutions approaches, and discuss their limitations. Then, we present a distributed dynamic host configuration protocol designed to con-figure nodes in a MANET. We show that the proposed protocol works cor-rectly and does not have the limitations of earlier approaches. Finally, we evaluate the performance of the solution through simulation experiments, and conclude with a discussion of related security issues