Hybrid Routing Protocols for Efficient Data Transfer in Wireless Networks

The use of both proactive and reactive systems in wireless routing is an efficient way of passing information within the network. In these networks, an important aspect is the data transfer which should be efficient especially because of the unpredictable state of the wireless communication environments that allows nodes join or leave the network, or move around in the vicinity. Hybrid protocols are developed to reduce the overhead that is required for maintaining current routing tables and at the same time guarantee efficient delivery of data. These protocols usually apply proactive information maintenance to keep routing information more stable or less dynamic and apply the reactive or dynamic method to build and maintain routes more dynamically. This enables the hybrid protocols to optimize for the different costs inherent in the frequent updates of the proactive protocols as well as the latency experienced in the case of the reactive protocols. Moreover, the hybrid routing protocols contain techniques of maintaining various network conditions such as congestion, interference, and link failures, thereby improving throughput and minimizing delay. The one-size-fits-all all approach of traditional protocols is not ideal with the portions and segments of a large number of mobile wireless networks such as MANETs and WSNs, where both efficiency and expansibility are crucial. This paper aims to give a general idea of the hybrid routing protocols, the fundamental operations, the benefits of implementing the protocols, and some of the main constraints encountered alongside illustrating some possible uses in the next-generation wireless system.