[MLB-WIRELESS] meshing

[Clae]

So we get people set up on an ad-hoc, mesh basis, using basic gear, 
then where need exists we start looking at backbone links?  I guess 
if a site upgrades from a leaf to a branch, any redundant APs could 
then be re-deployed (ie sold) further downstream...

Quoth Andrew:

>For nodes
>in the centre of the network, every time a node goes up, overall bandwidth
>will increase but unless we have some good load-balancing routers around the
>place, odds are that one or two links will still be swamped while others
>will be relatively lightly utilised. You can tweak this of course, but given
>the chaotic nature of the network and its loading, I wouldn't put too much
>faith in it. The other thing is that, during peak times, many (all?) of the
>paths through the centre of the network are likely to be swamped regardless
>of how good the load balancing of our routers is.

I've read recently some general-interest science articles on network 
topology - nothing deeply technical - that suggest that even a small 
number of long-range links can dramatically improve the throughput of 
a chaotic network.

>  > I imagine that the packet-clog that an individual might
>>  experience could be weighed against the advantage of being
>>  able to help their mates further up the valley to join in.
>
>Agreed. And for the first four or five people downstream of me, I'd probably
>be very happy to support them on a single link from myself. But if I were in
>the middle of the network and forwarding packets for 40 or 50 people all
>around myself, I'd probably start to get a bit narky.

but by that stage, the potential for redundant connections amongst 
those 40 or 50 people would be quite high, wouldn't it?

>  > I can just imagine the frustration of someone who has spent a
>>  largish amount of money under the impression he/she will be
>>  able to do this, only to find that they can't.
>
>Again, agreed. That's why I'm suggesting that leaf nodes need bugger-all
>gear (just an AP and maybe an antenna)

To some of us that is a large-*ish* amount of money.  One of the 
things I wanted to clarify was whether that was a hard- or software 
difference.
Do I conclude that an out-of-box AP can do some level of ad-hoc, mesh 
networking?

>to connect to other nodes - so that
>the entry price can be reduced. The branch nodes that they connect to could
>have a mesh-style topology between a few nearby nodes,

meaning other branch nodes ?

>but if a packet is
>going to go for more than a few hops you probably want to get it onto a
>dedicated backbone hop.
>
>
>At this stage, it's just food for thought - but it does bear thinking about.

:-)

Clae.

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