E-CHANET: Routing, Forwarding and Transport in Information-Centric Multihop Wireless Networks

Information-Centric Networking (ICN) is a promising architecture for the future Internet that focuses on content ratherthan IP addresses. By leveraging named-data instead of named-hosts, ICN does not need the set up and maintenanceof stable paths between end-nodes. This makes ICN particularly convenient in networks characterized by intermittentconnectivity and hostile propagation conditions, such as wireless multihop networks like ad hoc and mesh networks.In this paper, we present an information-centric architecture for IEEE 802.11 wireless ad hoc networks, namedE-CHANET, which performs routing, forwarding and reliable transport functions, specifically tailored to cope withthe limitations and requirements of wireless distributed environments. E-CHANET performance is evaluated throughsimulations and a comparison with the legacy TCP/IP architecture and the basic CCN model is provided. Achievedresults demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution in mobile wireless environments.