How to use mesh technology to improve network performance

To improve network performance, it is very suitable to use the mesh network technology. At the same time, you must pay attention to many problems. Only by solving these problems can you better improve network performance, we should also sum up our experience to avoid similar problems in the future.

Mesh Network technology improves wireless network performance

As wireless networks become increasingly popular, users need higher bandwidth, larger coverage, and better reliability. Standard "point-to-point" or "point-to-point" technologies, such as 802.11 and Bluetooth, are short-distance and line-of-sight wireless networks with inherent limitations. As additional nodes join the network and share access point data streams, the bandwidth of these networks will gradually decrease. Due to link noise and transmission errors, the bandwidth will decrease as the distance increases. Most standard wireless networks have a "dead spot" in their effective distance. These points present low signal quality due to interference objects or low signal strength. A single failure can easily paralyze the entire network. Designers are trying to use mesh network technology) to overcome many of these shortcomings and extend wireless coverage to the entire Community or city.

The wireless mesh network technology is a low-power multihop system that processes messages by passing information packets from one node to another until the packets arrive at their destination. The point-to-point network node filters out all information packages and only leaves its own information packages. In contrast, the mesh network technical node receives the information packages to be sent to other nodes, and send them again. The multi-hop Network runs like the Internet and provides multiple redundant communication paths from the source to the destination. If a path stops working due to hardware failure or interference, the mesh network technology will automatically change the routing of information packets so that they pass through an alternative path.

Compared with traditional point-to-point networks, one of the main advantages of the mesh network technology is that the power required by each node is greatly reduced. A multi-hop Network node only needs enough transmit power to reach adjacent nodes. A single hop node must bear the maximum specified distance. In some applications such as distributed sensor networks, each node can be very close, so that the transmitter power is extremely low and the battery life is very long.

Low-power nodes also effectively increase the total data capacity and network bandwidth. When two devices in a single-hop Network try to launch at the same time, the competition protocol distributes the data capacity evenly, thus giving each device part of the available bandwidth. Due to the low power of each node in the mesh network technology, devices located in different parts of the network can actually launch at the same frequency without interference. This reuse of spectrum improves the space capacity of the network.

The short distance between nodes also brings higher network bandwidth. In any fixed-Power RF transmitter, noise-caused reception Errors increase as the distance between the transmitter and receiver increases. Most network protocols use several variable error correction schemes that sacrifice bandwidth for continuous operation at a higher noise level. The mesh network eliminates this problem because it is initiated on multiple data paths without noise at short distances, rather than on a large jump with potential noise.

Redundant path

Another obvious advantage of a mesh network is its redundant paths, which provide higher reliability and data rate compared with a single hop Network. Temporary local interference, such as another radio signal or an object that weakens the signal, may block or reduce the data rate in the traditional network; the mesh technology simply sends data through an unaffected alternative path. Likewise, hardware faults in any mesh node do not completely invalidate the mesh. The redundancy of the mesh network technology also increases the effective bandwidth, because multiple data streams can be transmitted simultaneously. For example, in the home network environment, video data streams can be transmitted from the DVD player in the living room to the TV set in the bedroom, and audio data streams can be transmitted from the home computer to the Portable MP3 player at the edge of the swimming pool.

Although the mesh network technology has so many advantages, network experts are worried about security issues in multi-hop environments. For example, in a wireless mesh that includes multiple computer systems, secure data may pass through multiple unauthorized nodes before arriving at the destination. Such data exposure may require complex encryption or node authentication to prevent leaks. The mesh network technology may also provide opportunities for hackers to replace incorrect routing information or introduce unauthorized traffic. These security issues become more apparent when you use the mesh network technology to span a wide area such as campus or community.

Before deploying a new multi-hop System, potential mesh users and developers have a number of hardware and software requirements that need to be defined and implemented. For example, the transceiver power of the mesh network technology node should be very low, so that the spectrum can be reused in other parts of the network. Although some interesting work is being done in low-power nodes, most developers choose to start with 802.11 and other widely available hardware and create software protocols to enable multi-hop systems.

The mesh network represents a low-cost, high-bandwidth technology used to provide the "Last Mile", namely, community-level communication infrastructure. For example, the mesh network technology uses multi-hop routing between nodes installed on lamps, buildings, vehicles, and end-user devices to provide users with Internet access across the Community. Its mesh architecture supports both fixed bandwidth connections and mobile broadband connections, because it integrates an ad hoc peer-to-peer routing technology and a proprietary QDMA orthogonal division multiple access radio protocol. QDMA radio technology uses a direct sequence to expand the spectrum, working in the 2.4 GHz ISM industrial, scientific, and medical frequencies. When you add devices to or remove devices from the network, MeshNetworks software can discover and share routing information and reconfigure the data path. MeshNetworks provides its technologies to OEMs in the form of ASIC chips. It is equipped with built-in routing technology and QoS service quality) Management and precise positioning technology. In addition to silicon chips, MeshNetworks also provides PCMCIA wireless modem cards and fixed-position routers. MWR-6300 is a type of router installed in the lamp column, used to ensure the wide area of the area, campus or building in the application of wireless coverage when the number of clients increases.

Free mesh Software

LocustWorld provides a free software package to help achieve the mesh technology that covers the community. The company's MeshAP is an open-source software project running on the Linux operating system, and can transform any x86-compatible PC into a mesh network technology client, forwarder, gateway, and access point. LocustWorld MeshAP provides remote management algorithms, security algorithms, and access algorithms to support various network technology routing functions. When a neighboring node establishes a communication, it verifies the identity of the peer node through a signed digital certificate. Then, it sets a 2048-bit, key-encrypted data stream. The software includes multiple features that allow the operator to decide who they are allowed to access the network. An authorized user can be a user who pays for the permanent service or a temporary user. The latter uses a ticket that provides a fixed length of online time for logon. The program also maintains a bandwidth summary for each user to allocate data quotas and priorities on the network. When users consume Internet bandwidth, they will use up their quota, and when they consume the quota, their priority will decrease. In this way, new users can obtain higher priority than those who have been occupying the service, and the fair share is composed of available bandwidth resources. Once the user has exceeded his/her quota, the user will not be banned from accessing the service, but he will no longer be able to access the service preferentially. To simplify the technical settings of the mesh network, LocustWorld also provides consulting services and hardware, such as the $400 MeshBox, which is a dedicated routing device preinstalled with Mesha software.

Tropos Networks provides a broadband cellular Wi-Fi network system, which provides convenience for telecom operators, network operators, and service providers to achieve urban broadband wireless data coverage. Its wireless mesh technology system enables residents and visitors to access the Internet from anywhere in the service area, as long as they have client devices equipped with a standard Wi-Fi network connection. The network operating system embedded in each Wi-Fi Unit provides critical intelligence. It realizes self-organization and self-recovery of the mesh network technology. When the provider adds new units, automatic discovery and Optimal Path Selection will seamlessly integrate them into the network. Service providers can expand their total capacity by simply connecting more wired return links anywhere in the network. Tropos Networks provides indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi units and operating system and network management software. There are currently a variety of cellular Wi-Fi systems, services and support options. Generally, the cost is about 7722 to 19305 USD per square kilometer, depending on the geographical conditions and RF environment.