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A Wireless mesh network is a Mesh Network implemented over a wireless network system such as Wireless LAN . Whereas the Internet is mostly a wire-based, co-operative electronic communication infrastructure similar to the international postal agreement, in that messages are mutually delivered and relayed within their separate domains free of charge (i.e. if you relay my messages within your domain I'll relay yours within mine), Mesh is a wireless co-operative communication infrastructure between a massive amount of individual wireless transceivers (i.e. a wireless mesh) that have Ethernet type capabilities. NETWORK STRUCTURE Architecture
Management This type of infrastructure can be decentralized (with no central server) or centrally managed (with a central server), both are relatively inexpensive, and very reliable and resilient, as each Node needs only transmit as far as the next node. Nodes act as Repeater s to transmit data from nearby nodes to Peers that are too far away to reach, resulting in a network that can span large distances, especially over rough or difficult terrain. Mesh networks are also extremely reliable, as each node is connected to several other nodes. If one node drops out of the network, due to hardware failure or any other reason, its neighbors simply find another route. Extra capacity can be installed by simply adding more nodes. Applications Mesh networks may involve either fixed or mobile devices. The solutions are as diverse as communications in difficult environments such as emergency situations, tunnels and oil rigs to battlefield surveillance and high speed mobile video applications on board public transport or real time racing car telemetry. Operation The principle is similar to the way Packet s travel around the wired Internet — data will hop from one device to another until it reaches a given destination. Dynamic Routing capabilities included in each device allow this to happen. To implement such dynamic routing capabilities, each device needs to communicate its routing information to every device it connects with, "almost in real time". Each device then determines what to do with the data it receives — either pass it on to the next device or keep it. The routing Algorithm used should attempt to always ensure that the data takes the most appropriate (fastest) route to its destination. Multi-radio mesh The choice of Radio technology for wireless mesh networks is crucial. In a traditional Wireless Network where Laptop s connect to a single Access Point , each laptop has to share a fixed pool of Bandwidth . With mesh technology and adaptive radio, devices in a mesh network will only connect with other devices that are in a set range. The advantage is that, like a natural load balancing system, the more devices the more bandwidth becomes available, provided that the number of hops in the average communications path is kept low. Radio Techniques
PROTOCOLS There are more than 70 competing schemes for routing packets across mesh networks. Some of these include:
The IEEE is developing a set of standards under the title 802.11s to define an architecture and protocol for ESS Mesh Networking. A more thorough list can be found at Ad Hoc Routing Protocol List . SEE ALSO
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