Electronic-oriented IP address auto-configuration protocol for MANET

In an ad-hoc network, configuration of an IP address based on the current Internet protocol version, is an important task. Previous allocation methods for automatic IP configuration have several drawbacks, such as wasted address space, message implosion, and/or long delay (e.g., using the duplicate address detection [DAD] procedure). Such methods are unsuitable for connecting a mobile ad-hoc network directly to an external network, such as the Internet, because mobile nodes frequently move in a dynamic environment. Mobile devices need a quick and unique IP auto-configuration scheme in small-scale environments. Therefore, we propose the electronic-oriented IP address configuration scheme, which consists of electronic bit position (EBP) and electronic MAP (eMAP) schemes. The EBP allocates IP addresses, and the eMAP locates reusable IP addresses among crashed or abruptly abandoned mobile nodes. The protocol for message handling uses a random back-off mechanism that decreases delay time and response implosion. The protocol was tested with a network simulator (ns-2).