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
