There are several standard protocols for Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANET) that have been developed for devices with higher computing features. The Efficient routing protocols can provide significant benefits to mobile ad hoc networks, in terms of both performance and reliability. Many routing protocols for such networks have been proposed so far. Amongst the most popular ones are Ad hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV), Improved Ant Colony Optimization (IACO). In this paper we present our observations regarding the
performance comparison of the above protocols in mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs). We perform extensive simulations, using NS-2 simulator. The Average end-to-end delay and the Packet Delivery Ratio have been considered as the two performance parameters