The field of mobile and wireless networking is reemerging amid unprecedented growth in the scale and diversity of computer networking. However, many of today's wireless local area networks need an infrastructure network. Infrastructure networks not only provide access to other networks, but also include forwarding functions, medium access control, etc. In these infrastructure-based wireless networks, communication typically takes place only between the wireless nodes and the access point, not directly between the wireless nodes. Ad hoc wireless networks, however, do not need any infrastructure to work. Each node can communicate with another node; no access point controlling medium access is necessary.
As opposed to LAN wired networks, mobile ad hoc communication networks will have mobile clients as well as mobile servers, without a preexisting communication infrastructure. The dynamic reconfigurability of such a network poses challenges in such diverse areas as routing, bandwidth management, data management, location management, frequent disconnections, mobile file handling, wireless broadcasting, network reliability, and security.
Papers are solicited for a special issue of the Journal of Distributed Computing (JPDC) on Mobile Ad Hoc Networking and Computing. The purpose of this special issue is to focus on all aspects of mobile ad hoc networking. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: v Mobile communication network architecture (self-organizing network architectures and protocols, etc.) v Routing protocols (unicast, multicast, geocast, content-based, etc.) for mobile and wireless ad hoc networks v Synchronization and scheduling issues in mobile ad hoc systems v Data management and mobility management for wireless ad hoc networks v Security and fault-tolerance issues for ad hoc networks v Resource and information management v Pervasive computing v Distributed algorithms for ad hoc networks (leader election, group management, etc.) v Low-power and energy-efficient designs v Sensor networks v Performance, analysis, and simulation of mobile networking protocols v Measuring and negotiating quality of service (QoS) v Applications of ad hoc networks (distributed databases, wireless multimedia, civilian and noncivilian applications, etc.