# MANET Routing Protocols' Performance Assessment Under Dynamic Network Conditions
## 5 Results and Comparative Analysis
### Scenarios with Homogeneous Nodes
#### 5.1.4 Average Delay  
As the network size increases, the research shows notable variations in average delay, as seen in Figure 4. All protocols first show comparatively low average delays at 20 nodes, creating a baseline against which to compare. Because proactive protocols maintain their  
Figure 3: Simulation Time across the Four Scenarios.  
routes continuously, they exhibit moderate latency, which makes them more effective for smaller networks. However, the overhead of maintaining routing tables makes their performance less than ideal for very large networks. The overhead of route finding under moderate traffic levels causes reactive protocols to noticeably increase their average delay as the network capacity grows to 80 nodes.  
These protocols work most effectively in situations where there are moderate to high node densities (80-200 nodes), as their as-needed route-finding way can handle the extra load. Congestion rises when the network expands from 20 to 200 nodes because of increased contention, retransmissions, and routing overhead, which results in longer pathways and  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c} \hline
**Network Size** & **Proactive Protocols (OLSR,** & **Reactive Protocols (AODV,** & **Hybrid Protocols (ZRP, GRP)** \\
**(Nodes)** & **DSDV)** & **DSR, AOMDV, TORA)** & **Hybrid Protocols (ZRP, GRP)** \\ \hline
20 Nodes & Moderate simulation time, efficient for smaller networks & Varying simulation time, generally higher than proactive protocols & Moderate simulation time, balanced performance \\
80 Nodes & Noticeable increase, consistent performance & Significant increase due to route discovery overhead & Balanced increase, effective management of increased load \\
200 Nodes & Sharp rise, high simulation time & Peak simulation time, highlighting scalability challenges & Peak simulation time, balanced performance, effective integration of strategies \\
500 Nodes & Decrease or stabilizes, less optimal due to maintenance overhead & Decrease or stabilizes, indicating return to efficiency & Stabilizes, maintains efficient performance, most suitable for high-density networks \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 7: Protocol Suitability for Different Scenarios Considering Simulation Time.  
Figure 4: Average Delay across the Four Scenarios.  
longer delays. End-to-end latency is decreased by the network's density at 500 nodes, which permits more direct routes and fewer hops. Certain protocols minimize latency in crowded networks by further optimizing route finding.  
At 200 nodes, the average delay increases the highest, underscoring the difficulties in scalability and adaptability that come with increasing node density. Because hybrid protocols exhibit balanced performance by combining proactive and reactive techniques, they are especially well-suited for very high-density networks (500 nodes), where they can effectively handle the increased delay. Average delays for the majority of protocols tend to settle at 500 nodes, suggesting that efficiency returns at the largest network densities. The effectiveness and scalability of each protocol category are highlighted in this analysis, which also offers important insights into their operational performance and possible limitations in a range of network scenarios. The protocol's suitability for the four distinct cases is compiled in Table 8 below, taking the average delay into account.