A reliable multicast protocol for ad hoc networks

The properties of mobile ad hoc networks, such as limited bandwidth, low memory capacity and high degree of mobility, make reliable multicast protocols for wired networks unsuitable for this kind of networks. To guarantee message delivery to all multicast receivers, the active reliable multicast protocol with intermediate node support (ARMPIS) is introduced. Our contribution is that ARMPIS distributes data cache and retransmission tasks among group members and intermediate nodes, which are not only multicast traffic conveyors but also their neighbours, to improve network throughput even in high mobility cases. Simulation results show that ARMPIS has a packet delivery close to 100% and maintains a low bandwidth consumption facing to frequent topology change. This protocol is also stable as traffic load increases.