4
illustrates regular and irregular mesh networks.
Figure 9.4 Regular and irregular mesh networks
Regular mesh
(Rectangular)
Node
Link
Irregular mesh
(No topological structure)
Optical Wireless Mesh Networks 247
A wireless mesh network is a mesh network in which the nodes are interconnected
by means of wireless links such as RF or FSO. Wireless mesh network technology
has received significant attention recently, primarily due to the suitability of wireless
technology for mesh networks and due to the development and proliferation of wireless
technologies such as WiFi. The benefits of wireless mesh networks have been widely
appreciated, and several wireless mesh products are now offered by manufacturers. In
this section, we will discuss the attributes of wireless mesh networks, especially when
used with optical wireless technology.
There are generally two types of wireless mesh networks: (1) point-to-point (PtP)
mesh networks that are made up of nodes interconnected by means of point-to-point
wireless links, and (2) point-to-multipoint (PtM) mesh networks that consist of nodes
interconnected by means of point-to-multipoint links.
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