A Mobile Ad hoc Network is a collection of mobile devices (often referred to as "nodes") that form a self-configuring network. The devices communicate wirelessly by relaying data across the network through a sequence of transmissions. In a true MANET such as Wave Relay every node can communicate with every other node enabling true peer-to-peer connectivity. This is in marked contrast to the far more common mesh network design, in which a series of stationary access points connect end users only to the Internet. The Wave Relay MANET is designed to maintain both peer-to-peer routes and connectivity to an Internet gateway while under mobility. The system detects changes in connectivity and, using a revolutionary routing protocol, elegantly adjusts the pathways in order to maintain the most efficient route between them.
In response to the challenge of developing a scalable MANET solution, a number of companies in the commercial sector have recently introduced products for building mesh networks. Though a mesh network and a MANET appear similar at first, a closer look reveals significant differences in their capabilities.
|
Features
|
Mobile Ad hoc Network
|
Mesh Network
|
| Any-to-Any Routing |
YES
|
NO
|
| Routing to Gateway/Internet |
YES
|
YES
|
| Mobile Routers |
YES
|
NO
|
| Users included in routing |
YES
|
NO
|
| Fault Tolerant Architecture |
YES
|
NO
|
| Military capable |
YES
|
NO
|
| Public Safety capable |
YES
|
NO
|
| Designed for Industrial Apps |
YES
|
NO
|
A mesh network generally consists of a number of static access points around which end users connect in order to send data back and forth to an Internet gateway. This many-to-one architecture, while easier to scale, is far less powerful than the any-to-any connectivity provided by a MANET such as Wave Relay. Wave Relay’s any-to-any connectivity allows users to communicate directly and efficiently, giving it a clear advantage over more basic mesh networking solutions. This efficient any-to-any communication capability is particularly useful for tactical, public safety, and industrial networks, where participants need to be able to communicate directly, even when all of the fixed infrastructure has failed. A typical mesh network simply cannot provide this. In such systems, without a connection to a gateway you don’t have a network.
Wave Relay’s ability to deliver the mesh to the end user results in multiple advantages ideal for municipal and ISP deployments.
| Problems with Traditional Mesh
|
Wave Relay Solution
|
| Client computers use consumer-grade 802.11 radios that do not operate dependably over long distances or through obstructions. |
Meshed radios bring the AP straight to your computer. Data is routed efficiently through other meshed CPEs in the area. |
| Weak signals between end users and APs located outside homes and offices results in lower bandwidth. (Usually 1Mbps shared among all area users.) |
Meshed end users share a huge 54 Mbps of bandwidth. |
| Single-radio mesh networks must forward data through the mesh on the same radio they use for client connectivity. |
Data is forwarded through the mesh by
peer-to- peer routing. Quad Radio Architecture incorporates four meshed radios operating on different channels. |
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