When a user initiates to transmit data, the protocol will intercept the request and broadcast a search packet over the wireless interfaces.
When the source node receives the REPLY, the route is successfully discovered and established.
In 1998, ABR was successfully implemented[5][6][7][8] into the Linux kernel, in various different branded laptops (IBM Thinkpad, COMPAQ, Toshiba, etc.)
A working 6-node wide wireless ad hoc network spanning a distance of over 600 meters was achieved and the successful event was published in Mobile Computing Magazine in 1999.
The enhancement made to the protocol include: (a) network-layer QoS additions and (b) route precedence capabilities.