A mix route algorithm for mix-net in wireless mobile ad hoc networks

Providing anonymous connection service in mobile ad hoc networks is a challenging task. In addition to security concern, performance concern must be addressed properly as well. Chaum's Mix method [4] can effectively thwart an adversary's attempt of tracing packet routes and hide source and/or destination of packets. However, applying the Mix method in ad hoc networks may cause significant performance degradation due to its non-adaptive Mix route selection algorithm. We propose a dynamic Mix route algorithm to find topology-dependent Mix routes for anonymous connections. Its effectiveness in improving network performance is validated by simulation results. We also address the potential degradation of anonymity due to dynamic Mix route.