RTUComputer ScienceYr 2020 · Sem 82020

Q7Mobile Computing

Question

2 marks

Differentiate between proactive and reactive routing protocols.

Answer

Proactive protocols maintain routing information continuously, while reactive protocols discover routes only when a node needs to send data.

Proactive (table-driven) routing protocols continuously evaluate routes within the network, so when a packet needs to be forwarded, the route is already known and can be immediately used (e.g., DSDV). Reactive (on-demand) protocols determine the proper route only when there is data to be sent, initiating a route discovery process (e.g., AODV, DSR), which saves bandwidth but introduces delay.

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