Abstract: A system and method for managing acknowledgments and retransmissions in a distributed manner in a MANET with 2-hop clustering structure. Clusterheads are in charge of assuring delivery of flooding packets to their members. After receiving acknowledgments from associated nodes in the cluster, and clusterheads perform retransmission when necessary with a list of acknowledging nodes. The non-clusterhead nodes receive the retransmissions and determine if that node's acknowledgment was received based on a list of node IDs included in the retransmission. If the node ID is not listed, the node resends the acknowledgment. The process continues until all acknowledgments are received and listed.

Abstract: A communication node of a multi-node communication network may include a communication interface and a controller communicatively coupled to the communication interface. The controller may be configured to: transmit one or more data packets over an in-use channel to one or more additional communication nodes of the multi-node communication network; determine an in-use channel quality indicator (CQI) value (CQIin-use) of the in-use channel; determine a self-degradation value (SDV) indicative of channel quality degradation attributable to the multi-node communication network; determine a candidate CQI value (CQIcandidate) of an identified candidate channel different from the in-use channel; determine a first CQI difference value (CQI1diff); transmit one or more data packets over the in-use channel if CQI1diff does not exceed a CQI threshold value (CQIthresh); and transmit one or more data packets over the candidate channel if CQI1diff exceeds CQIthresh.

Abstract: A process for use in conjunction with a communications network routing protocol that automatically adjusts for congestion that may occur due to the presence of advantaged and partially disadvantaged nodes. The network nodes check to determine if they are advantaged or partially disadvantaged. Advantaged nodes may, for example, be airborne or satellite nodes having a high degree of network connectivity. Partially disadvantaged nodes may comprise nodes that are low on power. Advantaged nodes and partially disadvantaged nodes adjust the network metrics entered into the routing tables they use to advertise their routing information over the network to show longer pathways through such nodes. As a result the other nodes in the network reduce the amount of network traffic routed through advantaged and disadvantaged nodes.