ABSTRACT : The efficacy of routing protocols is crucial for optimizing performance in MANETs due to the vibrant topology and mobility of nodes. This study conducts a comprehensive comparative analysis of four prominent MANET routing protocols: Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV), Destination-Sequenced Distance Vector (DSDV), Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), and Optimized Link State Routing (OLSR). Using the NS-3 simulation tool, we evaluate each protocols performance across various metrices, including Packet Delivery Ratio (PDR), throughput, control overhead, and end-to-end delay, under diverse conditions of node mobility and network density. Our findings indicate that AODV and DSR, being reactive protocols, generally perform better in high mobility environments due to their on-demand route discovery. Conversely, proactive protocols like OLSR and DSDV exhibit lower delay and higher stability in static or low mobility networks but incur greater control overhead.

Keywords – DSR, AODV, OLSR, DSDV, MANET, NS-3.