Mesh Networking
From Computing and Software Wiki
Mesh Networking introduces a new method of connecting communication devices together. Oppose to more conventional topologies, such as Ring or Star, Mesh allows devices the capability to connect and transfer data to many other nodes at the same time. At the same time, if one device has a connection to another network, such as the greater internet, then all devices that are a part of the mesh also have the same access. Mesh Networks also introduce a healing mechanism, where if one node becomes disabled, all other nodes that used this node as a communication point, will then seek out another route to take for reaching the same destination.
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How it Works
Advantages
Mesh Networking brings many advantages to Networks. Some of these are:
- Simplicity
- The routers are configured dynamically, meaning they often do no need to be configured
- Organization.
- Mesh networks are decentralized which can spread out the ownership model and allow each participant in the netwok to maintain their own hardware.
- Stability
- Ad-hoc routing principles of the mesh topology allow greater robustness during failing nodes and changing conditions.
- Integration
- The compact size of size of the hardware allows it to be hidden in any location including indoors and outdoors.
- Cost
- Especially on the wireless network end, the transceivers have become quite cheap, and dual purpose as each one can act as a client and a repeater.
The sample animation above displays a simple layout of how one Mesh Network could be implemented. With the Green Squares representing Nodes and the Red Circle the Internet, it shows how nodes can cannot to many other nodes and have its' traffic routed through the other nodes until it reaches it's destination.
One situation that can occur is when on Node fails. All connections made to that node are then dropped. If a specific node was using that node as a connection route to the internet, then it will begin to search for an alternate route to take.
