Fountain Broadcast for Wireless Networks

Code dissemination in wireless ad hoc network is an important aspect of network deployment. Once deployed, the network nodes may still need software updates to keep up with the changing application demand, thus making wireless broadcast an important aspect of any wireless network deployment. We present FBcast, a new broadcast protocol based on the principles of modern erasure codes. FBcast provides high reliability and data confidentiality: often considered critical for disseminating codes. Simulation results on TOSSIM show that FBcast offers higher reliability with lower number of retransmissions than traditional broadcasts.