Mesh networks use distributed nodes to provide reliable and extended wireless coverage. They are ideal for providing free, ubiquitous internet access. Increasing the number of nodes is the only way to improve coverage, and mesh networking is the solution. Mesh networks have attracted attention since wireless technology became accessible, with many companies offering mesh networking for home and office use. As mesh networks become smaller and cheaper, they will integrate with everyday devices, blurring the line between virtual and real.
A mesh network is a type of wireless network that uses redundant and distributed nodes to provide increased reliability and range for any wireless network. A number of smaller nodes, called cell towers, connect to large nodes or wireless routers to provide coverage over a larger area than would be possible with a single wireless router. Mesh networking software is built around the idea of self-healing networks, capable of efficiently routing signals through complex arrays of nodes and continuing to operate effectively even when some nodes are down.
The idea of providing wireless Internet to large numbers of people became very appealing after the advent of inexpensive wireless cards in the mid-1990s, which later allowed the Internet to become a mobile, often inexpensive, phenomenon. Since then, more cities, including large metropolitan areas like Pittsburgh, have adopted the goal of providing free wireless network access everywhere. This would make the internet not only mobile and free, but nearly ubiquitous. In 2005, the initiative was brought to the federal level in a report by the IEEE-USA Committee on Communications and Information Policy, which stated that the United States must move as fast as possible to roll out ubiquitous, multi-gigabit wireless networks or suffer the long-term economic consequences. Mesh networking is an ideal solution.
When the idea of providing wireless networks to large areas, especially entire metropolitan regions, is being discussed, two directions of growth are commonly considered: increasing the range of a given wireless node or increasing the total number of wireless nodes for better coverage . While new protocols and technology standards will increase the range of wireless nodes by a factor of two or three, larger extensions of wireless range seem unlikely, barring an unorthodox approach such as the mass launch of airships that act as wireless emitters. The only other alternative is to increase the number of wireless nodes in operation, miniaturize, minimize their cost, and develop better software to route data between complex, multi-node networks, all of which fall under the banner of cloud technology. mesh networks. Recently, several dozen companies, including Google, have offered to equip San Francisco with a wireless mesh network for free.
Mesh networking has attracted a lot of attention since wireless technology started becoming accessible, already spawning 70 competing protocols for routing data through mesh networking. Companies like Insteon provide customers with mesh networking for use in the home or office, offering wireless technology integration into everyday appliances like a microwave or gas meter. As the mesh network becomes small and cheap enough, it will integrate with a variety of devices in our daily lives, further blurring the line between the virtual and the real.
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