Wi-Fi Mesh Networking: IEEE 802.11s: Piotr Mitoraj Mitoraj@cs - Tut.fi

Mesh Networking Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.
11s tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT
Wi-Fi Mesh Networking: IEEE 802.11s
Piotr Mitoraj
mitoraj@cs.tut.fi
Tampere University of Technology
Department of Communications Engineering
November 3, 2009
Piotr Mitoraj / MUW2NET / TUT TLT-2756: Mesh Networking IEEE 802.11s 1/35
Mesh Networking Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT
Outline
1 Mesh Networking
Introduction
Theoretical Background
2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

Fundamentals
MAC Layer
Routing
3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

Overview
Hardware & software
Outline
1 Mesh Networking
Introduction

Fundamentals
MAC Layer
Routing

Overview
Hardware & software
Mesh networking
Wired networks - full mesh topology

All to all connections
”knotted material of open texture with evenly spaced holes”
Merriam-Webster dictionary
In wireless networking mesh is a wireless backbone
IEEE 802.11 reminder
Basic Service Set (BSS)

Independent Basic Service
Set (IBSS)
Extended Service Set
(ESS)
Outline
1 Mesh Networking
Introduction

Fundamentals
MAC Layer
Routing

Overview
Hardware & software
Wireless Mesh Networks
802.11 ESS
Main Features networks
ad-hoc networks
Self-organizing backbone
mesh
Overlapping coverage networks
Lack of wired distribution

system
Freedom in selecting the cellular networks
node location
Exteneded Service Set
WIRED DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
STA
STA
STA STA
AP
AP
STA
STA STA STA
AP
AP
Radio Link
STA STA
Mesh Extended Service Set
WIRED DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM
STA
STA
STA STA
MPP
MAP
STA
STA STA STA
MP
MPP
Radio Link
Mesh Radio Link
STA STA
Advantages
Fast deployment
Low cost
Removes dead spots
Very scalable
Easy network maintenance
Robust
etc...
Outline
1 Mesh Networking
Introduction

Fundamentals
MAC Layer
Routing

Overview
Hardware & software
Motivation
Many companies were developing proprietary mesh

solutions independently
Lack of interoperability between vendors
Nortel, MITRE, Philips, Thomson, etc. (Wi-mesh)
Intel, Motorola, Nokia (SEEMesh Simple Efficient
Extensible)
BelAir Networks, Tropos Networks, Strix Systems
(outsiders)
IEEE 802.11s Task Group formed in July 2004
Joint proposal contributed to the first draft (1.0) of the
standard
New network entities
Mesh Point (MP)

implements the basic functionality of path selection and
forwarding the traffic of other MPs. It might be used to
interconnect two remote parts of the mesh cluster.
Mesh Access Point (MAP)
Same functionality as bare MP. Additionally, it serves as a
legacy AP for the STA nodes. In simpler terms, it is an MP
collocated with AP.
Mesh Portal (MPP)
Same functionality as bare MP. Moreover, it is a gateway to
the external network, e.g. Ethernet or WiMax. It is an MP
collocated with a gateway.
Usage Scenarios
Residential/Consumer Electronics
single building or flat
audio and video streaming
eliminate the dead spots and low quality areas
Office
cabling not feasible
scalability
cost reduction
Campus/Community/Public Access Network
wider coverage
lower cost and higher bandwidth
fast deployment and scalability
Usage scenarios
Public Safety
emergency response: such as fire, police and emergency
workers at the accident scene
video surveillance, voice communication, collection of the
data from sensors
Military
non-combat and combat
extreme mode mobility
fully automated network management
power preservation schemes for detached nodes
IEEE 802.11s
Routing
Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP)
First standard to define layer 2 routing
Medium Access techniques
Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA)
mandatory
Mesh Deterministic Access (MDA)
introduces novel medium access method
optional
Open source implementation
http://www.open80211s.org/
Present in the Linux Kernel since 2.6.26
Supported wireless drivers: ath5k, b43, libertas_tf, p54,
zd1211rw
Sponsors: Nortel, cozybit, olpc, google,
Outline
1 Mesh Networking
Introduction

Fundamentals
MAC Layer
Routing

Overview
Hardware & software
EDCA drawbacks in multihop environmnent

Designed for single hop wireless networks
Dense deployment of MPs leads to large amount of
exposed terminals
No means to prioritize backbone traffic over locally
generated traffic
Unaware station problem
Ongoing transmission between A and B blocks node C
being close to B. Node D placed outside A’s Energy
Detection (ED) range is an unaware station. It may try
several retransmissions to not responding C node
MDA
Currently 802.11 does not include any multi-hop scheme

allowing two stations outside mutual radio range to
communicate
Separates a negotiation process and medium reservation
More awareness of the difficult radio environment
Mitigates unaware station problem
MP exchange the information about:
Their own Tx and Rx transmission periods (MDAOP)
Their neighbors’ Tx and Rx transmission periods,
interference reports
Outline
1 Mesh Networking
Introduction

Fundamentals
MAC Layer
Routing

Overview
Hardware & software
Network layer routing
Host A Host B
Layer 3 routing
Application Application
Presentation Presentation
Frame Forwarding
Session Session
Transport Mesh Router Mesh Router Transport
Network Network Network Network Network Network
Data Link Data Link Data Link Data Link Data Link Data Link
Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical
Hop #1 Hop #2 Hop #3
IEEE 802.11s ESS
Host A Host B
Layer 2 routing
Application Application
Presentation Presentation
Path Selection
Session Session
Transport Transport
Network Mesh Router Mesh Router Network
Data Link Data Link Data Link Data Link Data Link Data Link
Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical
Hop #1 Hop #2 Hop #3
HWMP overview
Routing protocol must be aware of rapidly changing radio

environment
Combines on-demand routing with proactive tree-based
approach, not exclusive
The protocol specifies four information elements:
1 PREQ – Path Request
Contains cumulative metric and destination address
2 PREP – Path Reply
3 PERR – Path Error
4 RANN – Root Announcement
Sequence numbers in use
HWMP Proactive tree building mode
1 Utilizing PREQ
One node acts as a tree root
Root node sends proactively PREQs
Formation of paths between root and all other nodes
2 Utilizing RANN
Root node periodically broadcasts RANNs
Each node creates or updates the path to the root
HWMP Reactive path selection mode
1 Node A needs to discover a path to the destination

2 Node A broadcasts PREQ
3 The recipients process the PREQ based on two flags:
Destination Only (DO)
Reply and Forward (RF)
DO=1 (default)
Only the destination node is eligible to response with PREP,
RF flag has no influence,
All intermediate nodes learn the path to the destination
DO=0 and RF=0
Intermediate node that knows the path to the destiantion
may respond with unicast PREP,
Reduction of the path selection delay
HWMP Reactive path selection mode
DO=0 and RF=1

The same behaviour as in the previous case, but
PREQ is being forwarded,
Intermediate node sets DO=1
Outline
1 Mesh Networking
Introduction

Fundamentals
MAC Layer
Routing

Overview
Hardware & software
Motivation
To deploy Wireless Mesh Network testbed

IEEE 802.11
Free (open source) software
Embedded platform
Dual-radio
Testbed topology
Outline
1 Mesh Networking
Introduction

Fundamentals
MAC Layer
Routing

Overview
Hardware & software
Mesh Router
enclosure
Compact
Flash
Card
(min 64MB)
Ethernet port
Alix3c1 board - PC
Engines ALIX3c1 System Board
Serial port
2 Compex MiniPCI
802.11b/g wireless cards
1GB Compact Flash (CF) DC jack
card miniPCI
atheros based
miniPCI
atheros based
802.11b/g card 802.11b/g card
2 5dBi omni-directional
antennas
omnidirectional omnidirectional AC adapter

antenna antenna (18V / 15W)
Mesh Router platform
PCengine’s Alix3c1
CPU 433 MHz AMD Geode LX700
DRAM 128 MB DDR DRAM
Storage Compact Flash socket
Power DC jack
Expansion 2 miniPCI slots, LPC bus
Connectivity 1 Ethernet channel
I/O DB9 serial port
Board size 100 x 160 mm
Firmware tinyBIOS
Power consumption 2.5-3.5 W (peak 5 W)
Software selection
Operating System - Debian-based linux

Wireless Drivers - MadWiFi
dnsmasq - DHCP daemon
iptables - Masquerade on the gateway node
olsrd - Ad-hoc routing daemon
GRUB - GRand Unified Bootloader
That’s all
THANK YOU

Wi-Fi Mesh Networking: IEEE 802.11s: Piotr Mitoraj Mitoraj@cs - Tut.fi

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Mesh Networking Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.

11s tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

Wi-Fi Mesh Networking: IEEE 802.11s

2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

Wired networks - full mesh topology

IEEE 802.11 reminder

Basic Service Set (BSS)

2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

Wireless Mesh Networks

Lack of wired distribution

Exteneded Service Set

WIRED DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

Mesh Extended Service Set

WIRED DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

Many companies were developing proprietary mesh

New network entities

Mesh Point (MP)

Open source implementation

2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

EDCA drawbacks in multihop environmnent

Currently 802.11 does not include any multi-hop scheme

2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

Network layer routing

Transport Mesh Router Mesh Router Transport

Network Network Network Network Network Network

Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical

Hop #1 Hop #2 Hop #3

IEEE 802.11s ESS

Network Mesh Router Mesh Router Network

Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical Physical

Hop #1 Hop #2 Hop #3

Routing protocol must be aware of rapidly changing radio

HWMP Proactive tree building mode

HWMP Reactive path selection mode

1 Node A needs to discover a path to the destination

HWMP Reactive path selection mode

DO=0 and RF=1

2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

To deploy Wireless Mesh Network testbed

2 Standardization Efforts IEEE 802.11s

3 tutmesh - mesh network testbed at TUT

omnidirectional omnidirectional AC adapter

Mesh Router platform

Operating System - Debian-based linux

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