Submit

Login Login

Register Register

Home / Journals / CMC / Online First / doi:10.32604/cmc.2025.071676
Journal Menu
Special Issues
Table of Content

All issues

Online First

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

Open Access

ARTICLE

Optimizing RPL Routing Using Tabu Search to Improve Link Stability and Energy Consumption in IoT Networks

Mehran Tarif1, Mohammadhossein Homaei2,*, Abbas Mirzaei3, Babak Nouri-Moghaddam3
1 Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, 37134, Italy
2 Department of Computer Systems Engineering and Telematics, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, 10003, Spain
3 Department of Computer Engineering, Ard.C., Islamic Azad University Ardabil, Ardabil, 5615798170, Iran
* Corresponding Author: Mohammadhossein Homaei. Email: email

Computers, Materials & Continua https://doi.org/10.32604/cmc.2025.071676

Received 10 August 2025; Accepted 26 November 2025; Published online 04 January 2026

Abstract

The Routing Protocol for Low-power and Lossy Networks (RPL) is widely used in Internet of Things (IoT) systems, where devices usually have very limited resources. However, RPL still faces several problems, such as high energy usage, unstable links, and inefficient routing decisions, which reduce the overall network performance and lifetime. In this work, we introduce TABURPL, an improved routing method that applies Tabu Search (TS) to optimize the parent selection process. The method uses a combined cost function that considers Residual Energy, Transmission Energy, Distance to the Sink, Hop Count, Expected Transmission Count (ETX), and Link Stability Rate (LSR). Simulation results show that TABURPL improves link stability, lowers energy consumption, and increases the packet delivery ratio compared with standard RPL and other existing approaches. These results indicate that Tabu Search can handle the complex trade-offs in IoT routing and can provide a more reliable solution for extending the network lifetime.

Keywords

Internet of things; RPL protocol; tabu search; energy efficiency; link stability; multi-metric routing

  • 123

    View

  • 20

    Download

  • 0

    Like

Related articles
Copyright© 2026 Tech Science Press
© 1997-2026 TSP (Henderson, USA) unless otherwise stated

Share Link