We analyze the connectivity of simulation ad hoc networks, which use random mobility models. Based on the theorem of minimum degree, the study of connectivity probability is converted into an analysis of the probability of minimum node degree. Detailed numerical analyses are performed for three mobility models: random waypoint model, random direction model, and random walk model. For each model, the connectivity probability is calculated and its relations with the communication range r and the node number n are illustrated. Results of the analyses show that with the same network settings, the connectivity performance decreases in the following order: random walk model, random direction model, and random waypoint model. This is because of the non-uniform node distribution in the last two models. Our work can be used by researchers to choose, modify, or apply a reasonable mobility model for network simulations.

This paper presents a path compression protocol for on-demand ad hoc network routing protocols, which is called dynamic path shortening (DPS). In DPS, active route paths adapt dynamically to node mobility based on the "local" link quality estimation at each own node, without exchanging periodic control packets such as Hello messages. Each node monitors its own local link quality only when receiving packets and estimates whether to enter the "proximity" of the neighbor node to shorten active paths in a distributed manner. Simulation results of DPS in several scenarios of various node mobility and traffic flows reveal that adding DPS to DSR which is the conventional prominent on-demand ad hoc routing protocol significantly reduces the end-to-end packet latency up to 50-percent and also the number of routing packets up to 70-percent over the pure DSR, in heavy traffic cases. We also demonstrate the other simulation results obtained by using our two novel mobility models which generate more realistic node mobility than the standard random waypoint mobility model: Random Orientation Mobility and Random Escape Mobility models. Finally, simple performance experiments using DPS implementation on FreeBSD OS demonstrate that DPS shortens active routes in the order of milliseconds (about 5 ms).