Topology Management in Rooftop Wireless Networks

This report investigates existing wireless network technologies and mesh implementations and describes why they are unsuitable for use in a rural environment. Drawing on the experiences of these existing networks a protocol to create a wireless mesh network for use in rural areas is designed. The mesh network created by this protocol is different from existing mesh networks in a number of ways. Each node in the mesh network has multiple wireless interfaces and utilises directional antenna to reduce interference and increase communication range. Additionally the protocol creates a mesh network composed of many layer 2 wireless Ethernet links rather than a single link.