Can Path Loss be a routing metric?

Question

I have researched about routing metrics for Wireless Networks. However, I have not come across "Path loss" as a routing metric. Since, Path loss is a very important performance factor for networks like Wireless Body Area Networks, is it feasible to use it as a routing metric?

Answer 1

The main problem I see when using path-loss is that it might vary with the traffic load. You could see some path loss at a lower traffic and some other (usually higher) with higher traffic. So, unlike other baisc path characteristics like bandwidth and delay, path-loss might vary with the operating conditions.

However, there would be cases when the path would have some associated loss as compared to others. For example, let us say we have a micro-wave oven that can interfere with 802.11 traffic (those that live on 2.4GHz spectrum) and for such cases, it might make sense to use an average path-loss.