Closing open loops of wireless mesh networks

1. A method, comprising:

determining a representation of a wireless mesh network including nodes, and wireless links between the nodes;

identifying end-site nodes of the wireless mesh network, wherein the end-site nodes have only a single wireless link to the wireless mesh network;

determining open loops of the wireless mesh network that include the identified end-site nodes;

generating a list of potential nodes for closing of the open loops with the identified end-site nodes;

testing one or more of the potential nodes, comprising testing performance of a wireless connection between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes, wherein the performance includes a number of wireless hops around the closing of the open loops formed including the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes;

selecting a closing node based on the testing; and

providing a wireless link connection between one or more of the end-site nodes and the closing node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the generated list of potential nodes includes identified end-site nodes and non-end-site nodes.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein selecting the closing node based on the testing include preferentially weighting identified end-site nodes as the closing node over the non-end-site nodes as the closing node.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein a non-end-site node is selected as the closing node when the number of wireless hops around a closed loop formed including the end-site nodes is greater than a preselected number.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the testing of the one or more potential nodes further includes determining a link quality of a wireless link between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the link quality is determined by a resulting signal strength between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the link quality is determined by a resulting throughput between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the link quality is determined by a resulting throughput between the end-site nodes and an upstream point of presence (POP) resulting from the wireless link between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes, wherein the POP includes a wired connection to an upstream network.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the link quality is determined by a resulting interference with other wireless links of the mesh network caused by the wireless link between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the link quality is determined by a number or existing active links between neighboring nodes of the one or more potential nodes.

11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the link quality is determined by an angle between the wireless link between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes, and existing active wireless links of the one or more potential nodes.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the wireless link connection between the one or more of the end-site nodes and the closing node comprising scheduling wireless communication between the one or more of the end-site nodes and the closing node, wherein the one or more of the end-site nodes and the closing node receive the scheduling.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the wireless link connection between one or more of the end-site nodes and the closing node comprising scheduling beamforming directions of multiple antennas of the one or more of the end-site nodes or the closing node to be directed to an other of the one or more of the end-site nodes and the closing node.

14. A system, comprising:

a plurality of wireless nodes, wherein wireless links between the plurality of wireless nodes form a wireless mesh network;

a network server, the network server operating to:

determine a representation of the wireless mesh network including nodes, and wireless links between the nodes;

identify end-site nodes of the wireless mesh network, wherein the end-site nodes have only a single wireless link to the wireless mesh network;

determine open loops of the wireless mesh network that include the identified end-site nodes;

generate a list of potential nodes for closing of the open loops with the identified end-site nodes;

test one or more of the potential nodes, comprising testing performance of a wireless connection between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes, wherein the performance includes a number of wireless hops around the closing of the open loops formed including the end-site nodes and the potential nodes;

select a closing node based on the test; and

provide a wireless link connection between one or more of the end-site nodes and the closing node.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the generated list of potential nodes includes identified end-site nodes and non-end-site nodes.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein select the closing node based on the testing includes preferentially weighting identified end-site nodes as the closing node over non-end-site nodes as the closing node.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein a non-end-site node is selected as the closing node when the number of wireless hops around a closed loop formed including the end-site nodes is greater than a preselected number.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the testing of the one or more potential nodes further includes determining a link quality of a wireless link between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the link quality is determined by a resulting signal strength between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes.

20. The system of claim 18 , wherein the link quality is determined by a resulting throughput between the end-site nodes and the one or more potential nodes.