Simulative analysis of the Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP)

Abstract

Within the last few years, prevalence and importance of wireless networks increased significantly. Especially, wireless mesh networks received a lot of attention in both academic research and commercial deployments. Wireless mesh networks are characterized by wireless multi-hop connectivity and facilitate a simple and cost-effective establishment of wireless networks while providing large coverage areas. The ongoing standardization of IEEE 802.11s WLAN Mesh Networking defines the Hybrid Wireless Mesh Protocol (HWMP) for link layer path selection. This protocol offers various modes of operation that are suitable for different environments. In this paper, a detailed simulative evaluation of these modes allows for conclusions about their performance and suitability for specific environments.