A system and method for detecting communication requirements in a network and placing nodes in various stages of activity where conditions allow. The system and method provides an algorithm to detect changes in node activity levels and alter operations, such as update transmissions and route selections, based upon changes detected. In particular, the algorithm determines activity level at a node at each routing update interval based on factors such as a number of new destinations the node can reach, a number of route modifications that the node can implement, a number of routes from the node whose lengths have changed and a number of destinations the node can no longer reach. The node can then increase or decrease the rate that it exchanges its routing information with neighboring nodes based on an increase or decrease in this activity level.
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