Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) are decentralized networks characterized by dynamic topologies resulting from continuous node mobility, which poses significant challenges to routing and maintaining seamless communication. Routing protocols in such networks are designed to adapt to constant topological changes. The Fisheye State Routing (FSR) protocol is a proactive routing protocol which aims to minimize routing overhead while maintaining path accuracy by adjusting the frequency of routing updates based on node proximity. However, its distributed nature limits its responsiveness in highly mobile environments.

In light of these challenges, Software Defined Networking (SDN) emerges as a promising solution by providing centralized control and a general view for network, thereby enhancing adaptability of routing protocols within the dynamic nature of MANETs. In this study, we conducted performance analysis of the FSR protocol in two phases: first, using the FSR protocol alone, and then reanalyzing it within an SDN framework to benefit from centralized management capabilities.

The study involved modeling and simulating four different node mobility patterns—Random, Deterministic, Directed, and Network-wide—across five different speed levels. Simulations were conducted using the NetLogo environment, and performance was evaluated based on key metrics, including traffic load, throughput, routing overhead, packet loss, average delay, and delivery ratios.

This research goal to offer a deeper expertise of the effect of node transferring patterns on the overall performance of the FSR protocol and to assess the capacity enhancements whilst integrating FSR with SDN. The anticipated results contribute to the progress of greater adaptive and optimized routing protocols for exceptionally dynamic, infrastructure-much less community environments.