Patent ID: 7778235

Claim:
A method in a mobile ad hoc router that is within a mobile ad hoc network, the method including: receiving, by the mobile ad hoc router, routing information that identifies a mobile ad hoc node within the mobile ad hoc network and that is reachable within a prescribed distance of the mobile ad hoc router; storing by the mobile ad hoc router a routing table entry in response to reception of the routing information and that specifies an explicit hop-by-hop path for reaching the mobile ad hoc node within the prescribed distance, the explicit hop-by-hop path including a network address of a next hop network node along the explicit hop-by-hop path for reaching the mobile ad hoc node; modifying, by the mobile ad hoc router, a routing header of a received packet into a modified routing header, the modifying including one of: (1) compressing a size of the routing header to form the modified routing header based on removing the explicit hop-by-hop path for reaching the mobile ad hoc node from the routing header, based on the routing header identifying that the received packet is from the explicit hop-by-hop path, or (2) expanding the routing header to form the modified routing header based on inserting the explicit hop-by-hop path stored in the routing table entry into the routing header, based on the routing header identifying the received packet is to be sent via the mobile ad hoc node; and outputting the received packet, having the modified routing header, toward a destination address specified by the received packet.