Assignment of channels to links of nodes within a mesh network

1. A method of assigning channels to links of a node of a mesh network, the mesh network including the node and an upstream node and a downstream node, the method comprising:

assigning a first channel to an uplink of the node;

assigning a second channel to a downlink of the node;

maintaining the first channel and the second channel distinct from an uplink channel of the upstream node;

assigning of the first channel and the second channel for the node based on a number of hops from the node to a distinguished node;

wherein the number of hops is determined from information carried in routing packets; and

wherein the information carried in routing packets is propagated in the mesh network on some or all of the channels available in the mesh network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink of the node provides communication between the node and the upstream node.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the downlink of the node provides communication between the node and a downstream node.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink and downlink of the node comprise directional antennas.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the uplink and downlink of the node comprise omni-directional antennas.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information carried in routing packets is propagated in the mesh network on a dedicated channel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the uplink channel of the node is assigned by a default gateway of the node.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein assigning the downlink channel for a node comprises:

determining a plurality of potential channels for communication through the first channel and the second channel;

sending a reservation packet to trigger testing of each of the plurality of potential channels; and

determining a best channel based on responses to the reservation packet.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein trigger testing comprises:

the downstream node sending a plurality of packets to the node over each of the plurality of potential channels; and

determining the best channel as the potential channel having a best link quality.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the best link quality is estimated by at least one of throughput, packet error rate, signal-to-noise ratio, latency.

11. A mesh network system that includes assigning channels to links of a node of a mesh network, the mesh network including the node and an upstream node, the method comprising:

means for assigning a first channel to an uplink of the node;

means for assigning a second channel to a downlink of the node;

means for maintaining the first channel and the second channel distinct from an uplink of the upstream node;

means for assigning of the first channel and the second channel for the node based on a number of hops from the node to a distinguished node;

wherein the number of hops is determined from information carried in routing packets; and

wherein the information carried in routing packets is propagated in the network on some or all of the channels available in the mesh network system.

12. A mesh network comprising:

a plurality of access nodes including at least one distinguished node;

a plurality of links between the access nodes; wherein

any three consecutive links within a multi-hop chain from any node to the at least one distinguished node operate on a different of a plurality of channels; and

means for assigning channels to links of the at least one distinguish node based on a number of hops from an access node to the at least one distinguished node; and

wherein the number of hops is determined from information carried in routing packets; and

wherein the information carried in routing packets is propagated in the network on some or all of the channels available in the mesh network.