Surya Rao wrote: > IEEE is organizing a discussion on wireless mesh networks. Parallely > an industry group of intel, nokia .. is behind another proposal for > mesh networks.
To be more accurate, the IEEE 802.11 group has a Task Group (Task Group 's' or 802.11s) to specify the MAC layer changes needed for WLAN meshes. Many companies and universities have proposed changes to the 802.11 MAC to enable mesh networks. Two of leading proposals are from two different groups of companies. The groups are called SEE-Mesh and Wi-Mesh respectively. Over the next few months, these groups as well as the other proposers will present their ideas and discuss ways to reconcile their differences. > -- Will it be a software solution or hardware solution ? My guess is a > high software content solution like Atheros versus a solution like > cisco 350 where firmware has to be upgraded. Note that the official IEEE standard does not differentiate between h/w and s/w but the companies participating in the process try to make sure that the new standard can be supported by their current devices. The exact nature of the final implementation (h/w or s/w) depends on the architecture of the individual device. > --There should be a pre-allocated bandwidth for mesh networks > something like PCF /DCF. However this might bring problems like non > real time voice calls on mesh networks. This is one of the many topics currently being hashed-out in the 802.11s group. > --When will the first drivers for mesh networks be released? Does > anybody in the group have access to the source code? Given that the standard will take a while to be decided, I wouldn't expect any products before next year at the earliest. And depending on the company and how their products are designed, mesh support may need a firmware upgrade or even a hardware upgrade. Of course, you can currently buy WLAN equipment that supports proprietary extensions to 802.11 and enables wireless mesh networks. But these are not interoperable with equipment from other vendors and it may be best to wait for 802.11s to finish their work. Regards, - Harshal ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get Bzzzy! (real tools to help you find a job). Welcome to the Sweet Life. http://us.click.yahoo.com/A77XvD/vlQLAA/TtwFAA/5AhqlB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wirelesslan/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
