  This paper presents a dual method of closed-form analysis and lightweight
simulation that enables an evaluation of the performance of mobile ad hoc
networks that is more realistic, efficient, and accurate than those found in
existing publications. Some features accommodated by the new analysis are
shadowing, exclusion and guard zones, and distance-dependent fading. Three
routing protocols are examined: least-delay, nearest-neighbor, and
maximum-progress routing. The tradeoffs among the path reliabilities, average
conditional delays, average conditional number of hops, and area spectral
efficiencies are examined.
