System and method for link quality source routing

A computer-implemented method for receiving a packet by a node in a multi-hop ad hoc network in accordance with a source routing protocol, the method comprising:

• updating a link cache with link quality information contained in the packet;
• if the packet is a route request, and the node is a target of the route request,
• sending a route reply, including link quality information;
• if the packet is a route request, and the node is not the target,
• determining whether the route request is a duplicate of a request in a request table;
• if the route request is a duplicate,
• suppressing the route request;
• if the route request is not a duplicate,
• adding the route request to the request table;
• adding link quality information to the route request;
• and
• rebroadcasting the route request;
• if the packet is a source routed packet, and the node is not a final destination of the packet,
• updating a source route with link quality information;
• and
• using a maintenance buffer to forward the packet;
• wherein the method is performed by the node in the multi-hop ad hoc network.