Reliable and Efficient Routing Model for Unequal Clustering-Based Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract

The lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) can be extended with the adoption of an effective clustering method. However, the major problem of a multihop-based clustered network is the "hotspot"problem i.e., the Cluster Head (CH) closer to the base station tends to die very fast in comparison with far away nodes due to inter-cluster communication. Furthermore, no prior works have considered reliability and efficient factors together for provisioning modern data-intensive applications under WSN. In addressing research issues, this paper presents a Reliable and Efficient Routing (RER) design under an unequal clustering environment. The RER employs a two-phase model, first an effective CH selection strategy for enhancing efficiency; secondly, Reliable and Efficient Route Selection (RER) model for provisioning application with QoS constraint. Experiment outcomes show that the proposed routing strategy improves network lifetime with reduced communication overhead and communication delay.