t-A sensor network is a system that consists of
thousands of very small stations called sensor nodes. The main
function of sensor nodes is to monitor, record, and notify a
specific condition at various locations to other stations and end
users. Eventually, this presents a wide range of applications that
motivates research in sensor networks. The communication
among nodes is done in a wireless fashion, and thus, the name of
wireless sensor networks. This paper studies wireless sensor
networks throughout a number of selected articles, papers, and
online resources. A good understanding of sensor networks and
wireless communications is the main learning outcome of this
study. Specifically, the research concentrates on routing in sensor
networks, and is supported by a simulation of a sensor network
application performed with Network Simulator. Before
simulating, a careful study of available simulators is conducted as
well. Once the tools are available, implementation and simulation
follows. The simulation focuses on finding the best routing
protocol, in terms of delay and dropped packets, as a complement
for the study. The protocols studied are AODV and DSDV. The
interpreted results clearly show that DSDV is the best protocol
for our simulation. The research concludes with
recommendations for future work.