New era for wireless networking

Another innovation in wireless networking promises to reduce the deployment time and allow for large-scale implementations of wireless networks that could greatly benefit large industry and municipalities.

The technology is called mesh networking and essentially allows for the creation of intelligent, self-healing, large-scale wireless networks.

Mesh networking is a far easier way of designing and deploying wireless networks. Where previously access points would have had to be connected with cables, access points in mesh networks connect to each other wirelessly and form a grid, hence the name.

Mesh networks also spread traffic load and use the quickest path to network resources, ensuring the link speed is optimised at all times, with minimal input from network administrators. The network is intelligent and is constantly adapting its traffic. If one access point should fail or a dead cell occurs in the network for whatever reason, the network will also find a way to cover that area or get around it, using the available access points.

Mesh networks also allow for seamless roaming in the network coverage area, as connected devices are transparently handed from one access point to the next, given their location.

Scalability is simplified in mesh networking and the network can be grown rapidly by deploying more access points.

Andy Robb, technology specialist, Duxbury Networking.

We currently refer to `wireless hotspots`, whereas with mesh networking, we talk about `hot zones` - large areas that are covered by one network. This makes the use of mesh networks ideal for municipalities and organisations that function practically in large areas, such as rail-networks.

Mesh networks are also easily expanded. Scalability is simplified in mesh networking and the network can be grown rapidly by deploying more access points.

A mesh network is in place that connects all municipalities in the US state of Oregon to enhance policing and other municipal activities such as traffic monitoring.

Mesh networking is also being used by mines, which typically need to cover large areas including underground operations and lift shafts. Mesh networking allows mine vehicles and equipment to stay connected and for networks to be deployed and adapted without vulnerable and cumbersome cabling connecting access points.

It is also perfect for public transport implementations. Rail networks can easily keep trains connected and monitor activity on-board. Taxi and bus operators can also keep vehicles connected via mesh networking.

However, there are two major differentiators in mesh networking technology that make a difference to the effectiveness of the networks: dual and single radio meshing.

Single radio meshing shares a wireless signal for the meshing processes as well as conventional network traffic, whereas dual-radio has a committed signal for the meshing processes and a separate one for network traffic.

Dual-meshing offers less interference and more robustness for the wireless network. As such, it is more desirable for mission-critical networks, such as those used by municipalities and large organisations.

The question as to whether mesh technology will remain relevant with WiMax on the horizon is largely the result of a misunderstanding of the intended use of WiMax.

While it is true that a WiMax access point can cover a large area, the technology is better suited to point-to-point type connections and is less suitable for dynamic network setups.

For this reason, it is unlikely that WiMax will be used for local area network deployments and will be used more by service providers and communications companies as a platform for their backend connectivity solutions.

Meshing will remain a superior solution for last-mile deployment, although extended connectivity could be provided by WiMax. For example, WiMax might replace DSL connections, providing a point-to-point high bandwidth and low latency connections with considerably less packet loss than conventional wireless technologies.

Therefore, Internet and other wide area connectivity could be provided by WiMax, where large network footprints are required and last mile connectivity is covered comprehensively by mesh networks.

Mesh networking is really designed for the grey area in wireless usage; small-scale WiFi deployment is good for dealing with small business and home applications, while WiMax will provide external and backend connectivity.

There has been little benefit to be derived from wireless use in the context of large enterprise and municipal requirements in the past, but mesh networking has changed all that.