Wireless Mesh Network (WMN)

In WMNs, nodes are comprised of mesh routers and mesh clients.
A WMN is dynamically self-organized and self-configured.

WMNs consist of two types of nodes:

• mesh routers
• mesh clients

Architecture of WMNs:

• Infrastructure/Backbone WMNs
• Client WMNs
• Hybrid WMNs

Characteristics of WMNs:

• Multi-hop wireless network
• Support for ad hoc networking, and capability of self-forming, self-healing, and self-organization
• Mobility dependence on the type of mesh modes
• Multiple types of network access
• Dependence of power-consumption constraints on the type of mesh nodes
• Compatibility and inter-operability with existing wireless networks

Advantages of WMNs compared to Ad hoc:

• Wireless infrastructure/backbone
• Integration
• Dedicated routing and configuration
• Multiple radios
• Mobility

Critical factors influencing network performance:

• Radio techniques
• Scalability
• Mesh connectivity
• Broadband and QoS
• Compatibility and inter-operability
• Security
• Ease of use

MAC protocols for WMNs have the following differences compared to classical counterparts for wireless networks:

• MAC for WMNs is concerned with more than one hop communication
• MAC is distributed and cooperative and works for multipoint-to-multipoint communication
• Network self-organization is needed for the MAC.
• Mobility affects the performance of MAC.

Open research issues:

• Scalability
• Self-organization and self-configuration
• Security
• Network integration