Comprehensive Performance Analysis of Mobility Models and Routing Protocols in MANETs Using NS3 Simulator

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) are dynamic and infrastructure-less networks characterized by high mobility and changing topologies. This study evaluates the performance of three prominent routing protocols—Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV), Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR), and Zone Routing Protocol (ZRP)—across three mobility models: Random Waypoint, Gauss-Markov, and Manhattan Grid. The analysis considers key performance metrics: packet delivery ratio, energy consumption, and end-to-end delay.Results reveal that AODV is the most energy-efficient, with energy consumption ranging from 2.5 J to 2.7 J across models. OLSR, with its proactive routing mechanism, achieves the highest packet delivery rates (up to 520 PKT in the Random Waypoint model) but incurs higher energy consumption (3.8–3.9 J). ZRP balances performance with moderate packet delivery and energy consumption. Regarding end-to-end delay, AODV demonstrates the lowest latency (110 ms–120 ms), while OLSR experiences the highest delays due to constant route updates.The findings emphasize that AODV is suitable for energy-sensitive applications, while OLSR excels in environments demanding high packet delivery reliability. ZRP offers a trade-off between the two. This analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of protocol performance, guiding network designers in selecting suitable routing strategies for specific MANET scenarios.