mobile ad-hoc network (MANet)

A Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) is a wireless ad-hoc network that configures itself. The MANET terminals are independent of each other and can change their locations, which means that the connections to other devices also change constantly. Each end device acts as a router and forwards the data traffic, to the corresponding end device.

Since MANETs are not location-based, they use wireless techniques to connect the various nodes and networks. This can be a standard WiFi connection, cellular networks such as those used in mobile communications, or satellite transmissions.

MANETs may be limited to some mobile devices and connected to the Internet. A typical representative of a MANET is a Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network( VANET) used for car-to-car communication( C2C) and car-to- infrastructure communication( C2I). Another concept is the Internet-based iMANET, which is an ad-hoc network connecting mobile nodes to Internet gateways.