Wireless Mesh Network

Wireless Mesh Network - Tree Topology

This wireless mesh network gives you many advantages including:

• Extended geographic coverage.
• Easy network expansion: adding a new node to an existing network only requires line-of-sight to another node already in the network.  And the new node now provides coverage for future nodes further downstream.
• Long Links:  use a directional antenna to reach a far away parent.  The radios come with a dual antenna port that lets you deploy a second antenna (typically an omni) to provide access to downstream nodes.
• Automatic routing:  All LANs get bridged together by the radio network. The radios autonomously route your packets to the correct destination using the minimum number of hops.
• Roaming:  combine the tree topology with our roaming feature to allow radios to change their access points if the link to the parent drops or is impaired.

In the wireless mesh tree topology you have three node types:  one root node and multiple branch and leaf nodes.

The root node performs a similar function to the hub in a point-to-multipoint topology and can have up to 32 direct links to remote sites.  You can configure each radio at the remote sites as either a leaf or a branch.  A branch node, besides having a link to a parent (root or another branch), also operates as an access point for up to 32 additional remote nodes (children).  Each of those nodes can again be configured as either a leaf or a branch.  There is no limit to the number of levels in the tree.  At any time you can upgrade a leaf node to become a branch.

A branch node has two independent RF configurations, one for the link with the parent, the other for the links with its children.  You can set the link with the parent to use antenna A, and the link with the children to use antenna B.  This allows you to deploy a directional antenna pointing at the parent node, while using an omni-directional or sectorial antenna for the links with the multiple children.  This is not mandatory, you can configure a branch radio to use a single antenna if you wish.

The Afar Wireless Mesh Network has the following features:

• There is no limit in the number of levels on the tree.
• Automatic association of new remote radios: just configure a new remote to receive on the transmit channel of the desired parent and it will automatically associate to the network  (you can use the “network-id” feature to prevent unauthorized radios from attaching).
• Self-learning bridging algorithm: the radios automatically learn the addresses of your equipment attached on any of the LANs and route the packets using the minimal number of hops to reach their destination.
• Self-healing network:  If a parent node goes down a branch continues to operate and pass data between its children.  Once the parent recovers the branch automatically reattaches to the rest of the network.  Or with roaming enabled the branch may attach to a different parent.
  
• Dual antenna root mode: You have the option of running the root with two antennas.  This may be useful if your remotes are grouped geographically such that you can use two directional or sectorial antennas to cover each group.