Ad-Hoc Network Self-Organization Workbench

Ad-Hoc Network Self-Organization Workbench

Step through neighbor discovery, link scoring, route selection, packet forwarding, and local repair in an infrastructure-less network.

animation
adhoc
manet
architecture
routing
Interactive ad-hoc network self-organization animation for learning MANET neighbor discovery, distributed route selection, multi-hop forwarding, route repair, and protocol trade-offs.
Ad-hoc networks Self-organization MANET routing

Ad-Hoc Network Self-Organization Workbench

Watch a wireless network form without a fixed access point: nodes announce themselves, score usable links, choose a multi-hop route, forward data, then repair the path when a mobility event breaks a link.

Power on current self-organization phase
No route yet selected route
Not estimated estimated delivery success
Link quality route decision policy
TrySelect Forest fire sensors, keep Route policy at Link quality, and press Step from Power on.
ObserveVisible neighbor links grows from 0, then route hops and route ETX change when the mobility event breaks the selected path.
ExplainLink-quality routing minimizes accumulated inverse-quality cost; local repair recomputes a path after the broken edge is removed rather than relying on fixed infrastructure.
Technical boundariesThe workbench uses fixed node coordinates, link qualities, energy levels, and one scripted break; radio interference, moving trajectories, hidden terminals, queueing, and protocol packet timing are omitted.
Colour keyemerging paradigms identitycurrent / primaryreference / datasuccesscautionerror / failure

Controls

Self-organization loop

The loop repeats whenever a node joins, moves, sleeps, or detects a broken route.

Power-on state

Nodes are awake, but each node only knows itself.

discovery selected route broken link
Ad-hoc network topology map Wireless nodes and links update as the self-organization phase changes.
Step through the phases to see the network build knowledge locally before it sends data.
0 visible neighbor links
- route hops
- route ETX estimate
0 frames/min control overhead lens

Selected route and local table

No route is selected yet. Step to route selection to compare the policies.

Neighbor Link quality Energy Local decision

Event log

    What this animation abstracts

    Distributed, not centrally assigned

    Each node learns from nearby messages and local link feedback. A gateway may exist, but it does not have to assign every route.

    Link quality can beat shortest path

    A two-hop path with weak radio links can be worse than a three-hop path with stronger, lower-loss links.

    Repair is part of normal operation

    Mobility, fading, and battery depletion change the graph. The network detects the change and searches for a usable alternate path.

    Protocol families in context
    Family Routing behavior Best fit Trade-off
    Proactive Maintains routes before traffic needs them. Dense or steady traffic where first-packet delay matters. Higher periodic control overhead.
    Reactive Discovers routes on demand, then maintains active routes. Sparse, bursty, or highly mobile traffic. First packet waits for discovery.
    Hybrid Keeps nearby routes ready and discovers distant routes only when needed. Larger networks with local clusters and occasional distant traffic. Adds zone-management complexity.
    Quick reference and sources
    • Neighbor discovery: a node learns which peers are directly reachable and records link evidence such as recent reception, RSSI, loss, or timing.
    • Route selection: the best next hop depends on the routing objective. Hop count is simple; link-quality and energy-aware choices often fit IoT better.
    • Route repair: when a link breaks, affected routes are invalidated or rediscovered. The packet path can change while the application goal stays the same.
    • Scope note: this is a teaching abstraction across MANET-style protocols, not a complete implementation of one RFC.
    Practice prompts
    • Change the route policy from link quality to hop count. Which scenario changes path, and why?
    • Turn off the mobility event, then step to repair. What maintenance work remains even when no link breaks?
    • Select a node on the map. Which neighbor would you avoid if battery life matters most?
    • For a fixed sensor field with one report every minute, would you prefer proactive, reactive, or hybrid routing?