Showing papers on "Wireless ad hoc network published in 2006"

Randomized gossip algorithms

Abstract: Motivated by applications to sensor, peer-to-peer, and ad hoc networks, we study distributed algorithms, also known as gossip algorithms, for exchanging information and for computing in an arbitrarily connected network of nodes. The topology of such networks changes continuously as new nodes join and old nodes leave the network. Algorithms for such networks need to be robust against changes in topology. Additionally, nodes in sensor networks operate under limited computational, communication, and energy resources. These constraints have motivated the design of "gossip" algorithms: schemes which distribute the computational burden and in which a node communicates with a randomly chosen neighbor. We analyze the averaging problem under the gossip constraint for an arbitrary network graph, and find that the averaging time of a gossip algorithm depends on the second largest eigenvalue of a doubly stochastic matrix characterizing the algorithm. Designing the fastest gossip algorithm corresponds to minimizing this eigenvalue, which is a semidefinite program (SDP). In general, SDPs cannot be solved in a distributed fashion; however, exploiting problem structure, we propose a distributed subgradient method that solves the optimization problem over the network. The relation of averaging time to the second largest eigenvalue naturally relates it to the mixing time of a random walk with transition probabilities derived from the gossip algorithm. We use this connection to study the performance and scaling of gossip algorithms on two popular networks: Wireless Sensor Networks, which are modeled as Geometric Random Graphs, and the Internet graph under the so-called Preferential Connectivity (PC) model.

Hot topic: physical-layer network coding

Abstract: A main distinguishing feature of a wireless network compared with a wired network is its broadcast nature, in which the signal transmitted by a node may reach several other nodes, and a node may receive signals from several other nodes simultaneously. Rather than a blessing, this feature is treated more as an interference-inducing nuisance in most wireless networks today (e.g., IEEE 802.11). The goal of this paper is to show how the concept of network coding can be applied at the physical layer to turn the broadcast property into a capacity-boosting advantage in wireless ad hoc networks. Specifically, we propose a physical-layer network coding (PNC) scheme to coordinate transmissions among nodes. In contrast to "straightforward" network coding which performs coding arithmetic on digital bit streams after they have been received, PNC makes use of the additive nature of simultaneously arriving electromagnetic (EM) waves for equivalent coding operation. PNC can yield higher capacity than straight-forward network coding when applied to wireless networks. We believe this is a first paper that ventures into EM-wave-based network coding at the physical layer and demonstrates its potential for boosting network capacity. PNC opens up a whole new research area because of its implications and new design requirements for the physical, MAC, and network layers of ad hoc wireless stations. The resolution of the many outstanding but interesting issues in PNC may lead to a revolutionary new paradigm for wireless ad hoc networking.

Opportunistic networking: data forwarding in disconnected mobile ad hoc networks

Abstract: Opportunistic networks are one of the most interesting evolutions of MANETs. In opportunistic networks, mobile nodes are enabled to communicate with each other even if a route connecting them never exists. Furthermore, nodes are not supposed to possess or acquire any knowledge about the network topology, which (instead) is necessary in traditional MANET routing protocols. Routes are built dynamically, while messages are en route between the sender and the destination(s), and any possible node can opportunistically be used as next hop, provided it is likely to bring the message closer to the final destination. These requirements make opportunistic networks a challenging and promising research field. In this article we survey the most interesting case studies related to opportunistic networking and discuss and organize a taxonomy for the main routing and forwarding approaches in this challenging environment. We finally envision further possible scenarios to make opportunistic networks part of the next-generation Internet

Vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication protocols for enhancing highway traffic safety

Abstract: This article presents an overview of highway cooperative collision avoidance (CCA), which is an emerging vehicular safety application using the IEEE- and ASTM-adopted Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) standard. Along with a description of the DSRC architecture, we introduce the concept of CCA and its implementation requirements in the context of a vehicle-to-vehicle wireless network, primarily at the Medium Access Control (MAC) and the routing layer. An overview is then provided to establish that the MAC and routing protocols from traditional Mobile Ad Hoc networks arc not directly applicable for CCA and similar safety-critical applications. Specific constraints and future research directions are then identified for packet routing protocols used to support such applications in the DSRC environment. In order to further explain the interactions between CCA and its underlying networking protocols, we present an example of the safety performance of CCA using simulated vehicle crash experiments. The results from these experiments arc also used to demonstrate the need for network data prioritization for safety-critical applications such as CCA. Finally, the performance sensitivity of CCA to unreliable wireless channels is discussed based on the experimental results.

XORs in the air: practical wireless network coding

Abstract: This paper proposes COPE, a new architecture for wireless mesh networks. In addition to forwarding packets, routers mix (i.e., code) packets from different sources to increase the information content of each transmission. We show that intelligently mixing packets increases network throughput. Our design is rooted in the theory of network coding. Prior work on network coding is mainly theoretical and focuses on multicast traffic. This paper aims to bridge theory with practice; it addresses the common case of unicast traffic, dynamic and potentially bursty flows, and practical issues facing the integration of network coding in the current network stack. We evaluate our design on a 20-node wireless network, and discuss the results of the first testbed deployment of wireless network coding. The results show that COPE largely increases network throughput. The gains vary from a few percent to several folds depending on the traffic pattern, congestion level, and transport protocol.

Routing in intermittently connected mobile ad hoc networks and delay tolerant networks: overview and challenges

Abstract: n the last few years, there has been much research activity in mobile, wireless, ad hoc networks (MANET). MANETs are infrastructure-less, and nodes in the networks are constantly moving. In MANETs, nodes can directly communicate with each other if they enter each others' communication range. A node can terminate packets or forward packets (serve as a relay). Thus, a packet traverses an ad hoc network by being relayed from one node to another, until it reaches its destination. As nodes are moving, this becomes a challenging task, since the topology of the network is in constant change. How to find a destination, how to route to that destination, and how to insure robust communication in the face of constant topology change are major challenges in mobile ad hoc networks. Routing in mobile ad hoc networks is a well-studied topic. To accommodate the dynamic topology of mobile ad hoc networks, an abundance of routing protocols have recent-For all these routing protocols, it is implicitly assumed that the network is connected and there is a contemporaneous end-to-end path between any source and destination pair. However, in a physical ad hoc network, the assumption that there is a contemporaneous end-to-end path between any source and destination pair may not be true, as illustrated below. In MANETs, when nodes are in motion, links can be obstructed by intervening objects. When nodes must conserve power, links are shut down periodically. These events result in intermittent connectivity. At any given time, when no path exists between source and destination, network partition is said to occur. Thus, it is perfectly possible that two nodes may never be part of the same connected portion of the network. Figure 1 illustrates the time evolving behavior in intermittent-ABSTRACT Recently there has been much research activity in the emerging area of intermittently connected ad hoc networks and delay/disruption tolerant networks (DTN). There are different types of DTNs, depending on the nature of the network environment. Routing in DTNs is one of the key components in the DTN architecture. Therefore, in the last few years researchers have proposed different routing protocols for different types of DTNs. In this article we capture the state of the art in routing protocols in DTNs. We categorize these routing protocols based on information used. For deter-ministic time evolving networks, three main approaches are discussed: the tree approach, the space and time approach, and the modified shortest …

Network coding: an instant primer

Abstract: Network coding is a new research area that may have interesting applications in practical networking systems. With network coding, intermediate nodes may send out packets that are linear combinations of previously received information. There are two main benefits of this approach: potential throughput improvements and a high degree of robustness. Robustness translates into loss resilience and facilitates the design of simple distributed algorithms that perform well, even if decisions are based only on partial information. This paper is an instant primer on network coding: we explain what network coding does and how it does it. We also discuss the implications of theoretical results on network coding for realistic settings and show how network coding can be used in practice

Gossip-based ad hoc routing

Abstract: Many ad hoc routing protocols are based on some variant of flooding. Despite various optimizations of flooding, many routing messages are propagated unnecessarily. We propose a gossiping-based approach, where each node forwards a message with some probability, to reduce the overhead of the routing protocols. Gossiping exhibits bimodal behavior in sufficiently large networks: in some executions, the gossip dies out quickly and hardly any node gets the message; in the remaining executions, a substantial fraction of the nodes gets the message. The fraction of executions in which most nodes get the message depends on the gossiping probability and the topology of the network. In the networks we have considered, using gossiping probability between 0.6 and 0.8 suffices to ensure that almost every node gets the message in almost every execution. For large networks, this simple gossiping protocol uses up to 35% fewer messages than flooding, with improved performance. Gossiping can also be combined with various optimizations of flooding to yield further benefits. Simulations show that adding gossiping to AODV results in significant performance improvement, even in networks as small as 150 nodes. Our results suggest that the improvement should be even more significant in larger networks

An Aloha protocol for multihop mobile wireless networks

Abstract: An Aloha-type access control mechanism for large mobile, multihop, wireless networks is defined and analyzed. This access scheme is designed for the multihop context, where it is important to find a compromise between the spatial density of communications and the range of each transmission. More precisely, the analysis aims at optimizing the product of the number of simultaneously successful transmissions per unit of space (spatial reuse) by the average range of each transmission. The optimization is obtained via an averaging over all Poisson configurations for the location of interfering mobiles, where an exact evaluation of signal over noise ratio is possible. The main mathematical tools stem from stochastic geometry and are spatial versions of the so-called additive and max shot noise processes. The resulting medium access control (MAC) protocol exhibits some interesting properties. First, it can be implemented in a decentralized way provided some local geographic information is available to the mobiles. In addition, its transport capacity is proportional to the square root of the density of mobiles which is the upper bound of Gupta and Kumar. Finally, this protocol is self-adapting to the node density and it does not require prior knowledge of this density.

Distributed interference compensation for wireless networks

Abstract: We consider a distributed power control scheme for wireless ad hoc networks, in which each user announces a price that reflects compensation paid by other users for their interference. We present an asynchronous distributed algorithm for updating power levels and prices. By relating this algorithm to myopic best response updates in a fictitious game, we are able to characterize convergence using supermodular game theory. Extensions of this algorithm to a multichannel network are also presented, in which users can allocate their power across multiple frequency bands.

Wormhole attacks in wireless networks

Abstract: As mobile ad hoc network applications are deployed, security emerges as a central requirement. In this paper, we introduce the wormhole attack, a severe attack in ad hoc networks that is particularly challenging to defend against. The wormhole attack is possible even if the attacker has not compromised any hosts, and even if all communication provides authenticity and confidentiality. In the wormhole attack, an attacker records packets (or bits) at one location in the network, tunnels them (possibly selectively) to another location, and retransmits them there into the network. The wormhole attack can form a serious threat in wireless networks, especially against many ad hoc network routing protocols and location-based wireless security systems. For example, most existing ad hoc network routing protocols, without some mechanism to defend against the wormhole attack, would be unable to find routes longer than one or two hops, severely disrupting communication. We present a general mechanism, called packet leashes, for detecting and, thus defending against wormhole attacks, and we present a specific protocol, called TIK, that implements leashes. We also discuss topology-based wormhole detection, and show that it is impossible for these approaches to detect some wormhole topologies.

VADD: Vehicle-Assisted Data Delivery in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Abstract: Multihop data delivery through vehicular ad hoc networks is complicated by the fact that vehicular networks are highly mobile and frequently disconnected. To address this issue, we adopt the idea of carry and forward, where a moving vehicle carries a packet until a new vehicle moves into its vicinity and forwards the packet. Being different from existing carry and forward solutions, we make use of predictable vehicle mobility, which is limited by traffic pattern and road layout. Based on the existing traffic pattern, a vehicle can find the next road to forward the packet to reduce the delay. We propose several vehicle-assisted data delivery (VADD) protocols to forward the packet to the best road with the lowest data-delivery delay. Experimental results show that the proposed VADD protocols outperform existing so- lutions in terms of packet-delivery ratio, data packet delay, and protocol overhead. Among the proposed VADD protocols, the Hybrid Probe (H-VADD) protocol has a much better performance.

Information theoretic framework of trust modeling and evaluation for ad hoc networks

Abstract: The performance of ad hoc networks depends on cooperation and trust among distributed nodes. To enhance security in ad hoc networks, it is important to evaluate trustworthiness of other nodes without centralized authorities. In this paper, we present an information theoretic framework to quantitatively measure trust and model trust propagation in ad hoc networks. In the proposed framework, trust is a measure of uncertainty with its value represented by entropy. We develop four Axioms that address the basic understanding of trust and the rules for trust propagation. Based on these axioms, we present two trust models: entropy-based model and probability-based model, which satisfy all the axioms. Techniques of trust establishment and trust update are presented to obtain trust values from observation. The proposed trust evaluation method and trust models are employed in ad hoc networks for secure ad hoc routing and malicious node detection. A distributed scheme is designed to acquire, maintain, and update trust records associated with the behaviors of nodes' forwarding packets and the behaviors of making recommendations about other nodes. Simulations show that the proposed trust evaluation system can significantly improve the network throughput as well as effectively detect malicious behaviors in ad hoc networks.

Supporting cooperative caching in ad hoc networks

Abstract: Most researches in ad hoc networks focus on routing and not much work has been done on data access. A common technique used to improve the performance of data access is caching. Cooperative caching, which allows the sharing and coordination of cached data among multiple nodes, can further explore the potential of the caching techniques. Due to mobility and resource constraints of ad hoc networks, cooperative caching techniques designed for wired networks may not be applicable to ad hoc networks. In this paper, we design and evaluate cooperative caching techniques to efficiently support data access in ad hoc networks. We first propose two schemes: CacheData, which caches the data, and CachePath, which caches the data path. After analyzing the performance of those two schemes, we propose a hybrid approach (HybridCache), which can further improve the performance by taking advantage of CacheData and CachePath while avoiding their weaknesses. Cache replacement policies are also studied to further improve the performance. Simulation results show that the proposed schemes can significantly reduce the query delay and message complexity when compared to other caching schemes.

Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs): Challenges and Perspectives

Abstract: Vehicular Ad hoc Network (VANET), a subclass of mobile Ad Hoc networks (MANETs), is a promising approach for future intelligent transportation system (ITS). These networks have no fixed infrastructure and instead rely on the vehicles themselves to provide network functionality. However, due to mobility constraints, driver behavior, and high mobility, VANETs exhibit characteristics that are dramatically different from many generic MANETs. This article provides a comprehensive study of challenges in these networks, which we concentrate on the problems and proposed solutions. Then we outline current state of the research and future perspectives. With this article, readers can have a more thorough understanding of vehicle ad hoc networking and the research trends in this area.

Energy optimal control for time-varying wireless networks

Abstract: We develop a dynamic control strategy for minimizing energy expenditure in a time-varying wireless network with adaptive transmission rates. The algorithm operates without knowledge of traffic rates or channel statistics, and yields average power that is arbitrarily close to the minimum possible value achieved by an algorithm optimized with complete knowledge of future events. Proximity to this optimal solution is shown to be inversely proportional to network delay. We then present a similar algorithm that solves the related problem of maximizing network throughput subject to peak and average power constraints. The techniques used in this paper are novel and establish a foundation for stochastic network optimization

An evaluation of inter-vehicle ad hoc networks based on realistic vehicular traces

Abstract: Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) using WLAN tech-nology have recently received considerable attention. The evaluation of VANET routing protocols often involves simulators since management and operation of a large number of real vehicular nodes is expensive. We study the behavior of routing protocols in VANETs by using mobility information obtained from a microscopic vehicular traffic simulator that is based on the on the real road maps of Switzerland. The performance of AODV and GPSR is significantly in uenced by the choice of mobility model, and we observe a significantly reduced packet delivery ratio when employing the realistic traffic simulator to control mobility of nodes. To address the performance limitations of communication pro-tocols in VANETs, we investigate two improvements that increase the packet delivery ratio and reduce the delay until the first packet arrives. The traces used in this study are available for public download.

On trust models and trust evaluation metrics for ad hoc networks

Abstract: Within the realm of network security, we interpret the concept of trust as a relation among entities that participate in various protocols. Trust relations are based on evidence created by the previous interactions of entities within a protocol. In this work, we are focusing on the evaluation of trust evidence in ad hoc networks. Because of the dynamic nature of ad hoc networks, trust evidence may be uncertain and incomplete. Also, no preestablished infrastructure can be assumed. The evaluation process is modeled as a path problem on a directed graph, where nodes represent entities, and edges represent trust relations. We give intuitive requirements and discuss design issues for any trust evaluation algorithm. Using the theory of semirings, we show how two nodes can establish an indirect trust relation without previous direct interaction. We show that our semiring framework is flexible enough to express other trust models, most notably PGP's Web of Trust. Our scheme is shown to be robust in the presence of attackers.

Routing and link-layer protocols for multi-channel multi-interface ad hoc wireless networks

Abstract: Wireless technologies, such as IEEE 802.11a, that are used in ad hoc networks provide for multiple non-overlapping channels. Most ad hoc network protocols that are currently available are designed to use a single channel. However, the available network capacity can be increased by using multiple channels. This paper presents new protocols specifically designed to exploit multiple channels. Our protocols simplify the use of multiple channels by using multiple interfaces, although the number of interfaces per host is typically smaller than the number of channels. We propose a link layer protocol to manage multiple channels, and it can be implemented over existing IEEE 802.11 hardware. We also propose a new routing metric for multi-channel multi-interface networks, and the metric is incorporated into an on-demand routing protocol that operates over the link layer protocol. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in significantly increasing network capacity, by utilizing all the available channels, even when the number of interfaces per host is smaller than the number of channels.

Slotted FAMA: a MAC protocol for underwater acoustic networks

Abstract: Long propagation delays and low bit rates of underwater acoustic networks make these systems fundamentally different from the packet radio networks. As a consequence, many of the network protocols designed for radio channels are either not applicable, or have extremely low efficiency over underwater acoustic channels. These facts necessitate a dedicated design of protocols for an underwater acoustic network. A medium access control (MAC) protocol suitable for an underwater acoustic network is proposed and analyzed. The protocol is based on a channel access discipline called floor acquisition multiple access (FAMA) which combines both carrier sensing (CS) and a dialogue between the source and receiver prior to data transmission. During the initial dialogue, control packets are exchanged between the source node and the intended destination node to avoid multiple transmissions at the same time. Special attention is paid to the networks that are not fully connected, in which nodes can be hidden from each other. The new protocol uses time slotting and is thus called slotted FAMA. Time slotting eliminates the need for excessively long control packets, thus providing savings in energy. Protocol performance in throughput and delay is assessed through simulation of a mobile ad hoc underwater network, showing the existence of optimal power level to be used for a given user density.

Medium Access Control protocols for ad hoc wireless networks: A survey

Abstract: Studies of ad hoc wireless networks are a relatively new field gaining more popularity for various new applications. In these networks, the Medium Access Control (MAC) protocols are responsible for coordinating the access from active nodes. These protocols are of significant importance since the wireless communication channel is inherently prone to errors and unique problems such as the hidden-terminal problem, the exposed-terminal problem, and signal fading effects. Although a lot of research has been conducted on MAC protocols, the various issues involved have mostly been presented in isolation of each other. We therefore make an attempt to present a comprehensive survey of major schemes, integrating various related issues and challenges with a view to providing a big-picture outlook to this vast area. We present a classification of MAC protocols and their brief description, based on their operating principles and underlying features. In conclusion, we present a brief summary of key ideas and a general direction for future work.

Minimum-cost multicast over coded packet networks

Abstract: We consider the problem of establishing minimum-cost multicast connections over coded packet networks, i.e., packet networks where the contents of outgoing packets are arbitrary, causal functions of the contents of received packets. We consider both wireline and wireless packet networks as well as both static multicast (where membership of the multicast group remains constant for the duration of the connection) and dynamic multicast (where membership of the multicast group changes in time, with nodes joining and leaving the group). For static multicast, we reduce the problem to a polynomial-time solvable optimization problem, and we present decentralized algorithms for solving it. These algorithms, when coupled with existing decentralized schemes for constructing network codes, yield a fully decentralized approach for achieving minimum-cost multicast. By contrast, establishing minimum-cost static multicast connections over routed packet networks is a very difficult problem even using centralized computation, except in the special cases of unicast and broadcast connections. For dynamic multicast, we reduce the problem to a dynamic programming problem and apply the theory of dynamic programming to suggest how it may be solved.

Secure positioning in wireless networks

Abstract: So far, the problem of positioning in wireless networks has been studied mainly in a nonadversarial setting. In this paper, we analyze the resistance of positioning techniques to position and distance spoofing attacks. We propose a mechanism for secure positioning of wireless devices, that we call verifiable multilateration. We then show how this mechanism can be used to secure positioning in sensor networks. We analyze our system through simulations.

Game theory for wireless engineers

Abstract: The application of mathematical analysis to wireless networks has met with limited success, due to the complexity of mobility and traffic models, coupled with the dynamic topology and the unpredictability of link quality that characterize such networks. The ability to model individual, independent decision makers whose actions potentially affect all other decision makers makes game theory particularly attractive to analyze the performance of ad hoc networks. Game theory is a field of applied mathematics that describes and analyzes interactive decision situations. It consists of a set of analytical tools that predict the outcome of complex interactions among rational entities, where rationality demands a strict adherence to a strategy based on perceived or measured results. In the early to mid-1990's, game theory was applied to networking problems including flow control, congestion control, routing and pricing of Internet services. More recently, there has been growing interest in adopting game-theoretic methods to model today's leading communications and networking issues, including power control and resource sharing in wireless and peer-to-peer networks. This work presents fundamental results in game theory and their application to wireless communications and networking. We discuss normal-form, repeated, and Markov games with examples selected from the literature. We also describe ways in which learning can be modeled in game theory, with direct applications to the emerging field of cognitive radio. Finally, we discuss challenges and limitations in the application of game theory to the analysis of wireless systems. We do not assume familiarity with game theory. We introduce major game theoretic models and discuss applications of game theory including medium access, routing, energy-efficient protocols, and others. We seek to provide the reader with a foundational understanding of the current research on game theory applied to wireless communications and networking.

MMSN: Multi-Frequency Media Access Control for Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Multi-frequency media access control has been well understood in general wireless ad hoc networks, while in wireless sensor networks, researchers still focus on single frequency solutions. In wireless sensor networks, each device is typically equipped with a single radio transceiver and applications adopt much smaller packet sizes compared to those in general wireless ad hoc networks. Hence, the multi-frequency MAC protocols proposed for general wireless ad hoc networks are not suitable for wireless sensor network applications, which we further demonstrate through our simulation experiments. In this paper, we propose MMSN, which takes advantage of multi-frequency availability while, at the same time, takes into account the restrictions in wireless sensor networks. In MMSN, four frequency assignment options are provided to meet different application requirements. A scalable media access is designed with efficient broadcast support. Also, an optimal non-uniform backoff algorithm is derived and its lightweight approximation is implemented in MMSN, which significantly reduces congestion in the time synchronized media access design. Through extensive experiments, MMSN exhibits prominent ability to utilize parallel transmission among neighboring nodes. It also achieves increased energy efficiency when multiple physical frequencies are available.

Capacity bounds for Cooperative diversity

Abstract: In a cooperative diversity network, users cooperate to transmit each others' messages; to some extent nodes therefore collectively act as an antenna array and create a virtual or distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. In this paper, upper and lower bounds for the information-theoretic capacity of four-node ad hoc networks with two transmitters and two receivers using cooperative diversity are derived. One of the gains in a true MIMO system is a multiplexing gain in the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) regime, an extra factor in front of the log in the capacity expression. It is shown that cooperative diversity gives no such multiplexing gain, but it does give a high SNR additive gain, which is characterized in the paper

Secure Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (SAODV) Routing

Abstract: The Secure Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (SAODV) is an extension of the AODV routing protocol that can be used to protect the route discovery mechanism providing security features like integrity and authentication.

Spatial node distribution of the random waypoint mobility model with applications

Abstract: The random waypoint model (RWP) is one of the most widely used mobility models in performance analysis of ad hoc networks. We analyze the stationary spatial distribution of a node moving according to the RWP model in a given convex area. For this, we give an explicit expression, which is in the form of a one-dimensional integral giving the density up to a normalization constant. This result is also generalized to the case where the waypoints have a nonuniform distribution. As a special case, we study a modified RWP model, where the waypoints are on the perimeter. The analytical results are illustrated through numerical examples. Moreover, the analytical results are applied to study certain performance aspects of ad hoc networks, namely, connectivity and traffic load distribution.

A community based mobility model for ad hoc network research

Abstract: Validation of mobile ad hoc network protocols relies almost exclusively on simulation. The value of the validation is, therefore, highly dependent on how realistic the movement models used in the simulations are. Since there is a very limited number of available real traces in the public domain, synthetic models for movement pattern generation must be used. However, most widely used models are currently very simplistic, their focus being ease of implementation rather than soundness of foundation. As a consequence, simulation results of protocols are often based on randomly generated movement patterns and, therefore, may differ considerably from those that can be obtained by deploying the system in real scenarios. Movement is strongly affected by the needs of humans to socialise or cooperate, in one form or another. Fortunately, humans are known to associate in particular ways that can be mathematically modelled and that have been studied in social sciences for years.In this paper we propose a new mobility model founded on social network theory. The model allows collections of hosts to be grouped together in a way that is based on social relationships among the individuals. This grouping is then mapped to a topographical space, with movements influenced by the strength of social ties that may also change in time. We have validated our model with real traces by showing that the synthetic mobility traces are a very good approximation of human movement patterns.