1. A method for managing the topology in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) comprising a plurality of wireless nodes, the MANET operating in accordance with a multilayer protocol hierarchy including a network layer and a data link layer having a Media Access Control (MAC) sublayer, at each wireless mobile node, the method comprising: at the network layer of at least one wireless node, operating a routing protocol to discover routes from the at least one wireless node to other wireless nodes within the MANET, the routing protocol including the use of a global topology database storing global network topology information; at the network layer of the at least one wireless node, providing the global network topology information from the global topology database of the routing protocol to the MAC sublayer; and at the data link layer of the at least one wireless node, controlling the MAC sublayer to perform neighbor connection management based upon at least the global network topology information from the global topology database.