TRANSIT: adapting the Internet for mobile & ad hoc operation

Abstract

The current Internet struggles to cope with changing demands. Designed for a static network, the techniques that have evolved to configure devices, assign addresses and handle mobility, have proved inadequate in a mobile environment. In particular, the current network layer was not designed to cope with the increasing number of devices, or with mobility. Solutions that have evolved tend to rely on dedicated centralised infrastructure. These techniques have been influenced by the increasing client/server orientation placed on the Intemet by popular applications. These use resource-access schemes where access to such fixed infrastructure is required. In contrast to the Intemet, ad hoc networks have been designed to be decentralised, self-organising, and be able to cope with mobility without reliance on dedicated infrastructure. There are many environments where these properties are highly desirable.