The subject matter of this document relates to the field of data communications.
Communications networks are continually changing in structure and routing methods in order to facilitate widespread network availability. A mesh network is a network that utilizes the communications nodes within the network as data repeaters to extend the range of a wireless network. By utilizing the nodes as data repeaters, nodes that otherwise would not be in range of the wireless access point are able to utilize the network resources by connecting through a chain of nodes that connect to the wireless access point. Mesh networks reduce the amount of infrastructure that is typically required to extend network resources and increase the flexibility of the individual users because they can connect to the network from more locations.
Mesh networks present challenges because they are ever changing networks. The nodes in a wireless mesh network can move or drop out of the network altogether. Additionally, since nodes may be added at any time it is more difficult to maintain an accurate listing of the nodes that are connected to the network. Therefore, many of the traditional network routing strategies are less effective in a mesh network environment.