We present, prove correctness for, and evaluate a protocol for the reliable broadcast of topology and link-state information in a multihop communication network with a dynamic topology, such as a wireless network with mobile nodes. The protocol is called topology broadcast based on reverse path forwarding (TBRPF), and uses the concept of reverse-path forwarding (RPF) to broadcast link-state updates in the reverse direction along the spanning tree formed by the minimum-hop paths from all nodes to the source of the update TBRPF uses the topology information received along the broadcast trees to compute the minimum-hop paths that form the trees themselves, and is the first topology broadcast protocol based on RPF with this property. The use of minimum-hop trees instead of shortest-path trees (based on link costs) results in less frequent changes to the broadcast trees and therefore less communication cost to maintain the trees. Simulations show that TBRPF achieves up to a 98% reduction in communication cost compared to flooding in a 20-node network.

This paper presents a fair network access scheme called MultiSAT which can be seen as a generalization of two access schemes proposed by Ofek and Yung (see IEEE/ACM Trans. Networking, vol.3, no.4, p.169-80, 1995) and Ngai and Seitz (1989). An upper bound on the delay before a node can inject a packet into the network is given which is valid when packet routes have no cyclic dependencies, backpressure flow control is used, and the processing and propagation delays are negligible. Upper bounds on packet injection delay are also given for ring networks employing shortest path routing for the case of negligible processing and propagation delays, and for the case of the MetaRing network when link propagation delays are significant.

The MetaNet is a proposed high speed LAN/MAN architecture with simple protocols and operates on arbitrary network topologies. Since it operates on arbitrary topologies, it has the potential for better aggregate throughput than networks such as FDDI and DQDB that are ring and bus networks, respectively. This paper presents mathematical and numerical evidence that better throughput is possible for MetaNet on the well known grid and hypercube topologies. Simulation results are also presented to illustrate the importance of the choice of the embedded ring on MetaNet performance.>