Topology broadcast in maritime mesh networks with directional antennas - A practical approach

Abstract

The proliferation of wireless transceivers and the availability of unlicensed band has given a boost to the deployment of wireless networks, with IEEE802.11/WiFi being the major driver in this arena. We consider a wireless mesh network designed for long distance communication with a typical deployment scenario of a maritime mesh network. This network uses an antenna system made up of multiple fixed-beamwidth antennas. Through efficient use of directional antennas for both transmission and reception, and spatial reuse in transmission, we are able to realize a high capacity mesh network. In this paper, we present a practical approach to topology dissemination for maritime wireless mesh networks. We validate the design and provide algorithms to demonstrate the viability of the scheme.