The gray zone problem in IEEE 802.11b based ad hoc networks

Our experiments with IEEE 802.11b based wireless ad hoc networks show that neighbor sensing with broadcast messages introduces "communication gray zones": in such zones data messages cannot be exchanged although the HELLO messages indicate neighbor reachability. This leads to a systematic mismatch between the route state and the real world connectivity, resulting in disruptive behavior. Concentrating on AODV we explore this issue and present three different techniques to overcome the gray zone problem.