Methods and apparatus for resolving address mapping associated with a wireless mesh network

1. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a transmitter, a unicast address resolution protocol (UARP) request from a first communication node to a second communication node via a unicast transmission, the UARP request including a first protocol address associated with a third communication node; and

identifying, by an address resolver, a second protocol address associated with the third communication node at the first communication node based on address-mapping information from the second communication node, the second protocol address corresponding to the first protocol address associated with the third communication node,

wherein the first communication node comprises a source node, wherein the third communication node comprises a destination node to communicate with the source node, and wherein the second communication node comprises a server node to provide a protocol address associated with the destination node to the source node, and

wherein at least one of the first, second, or third communication nodes is associated with a wireless communication network.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein transmitting the UARP request from the first communication node to the second communication node via a unicast transmission comprises transmitting a UARP request that includes a protocol address associated with the destination node, and wherein the server node includes an address-mapping database associated with a wireless mesh network.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein transmitting the UARP request from the first communication node to the second communication node via a unicast transmission comprises transmitting a UARP request including an Internet Protocol address associated with the third communication node via a unicast transmission.

4. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein identifying the second protocol address associated with the third communication node at the first communication node based on the address-mapping information from the second communication node comprises identifying a protocol address associated with destination node at the source node in response to receipt of an address reply including the address-mapping information from the server node via a unicast transmission.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein identifying the second protocol address associated with the third communication node at the first communication node based on the address-mapping information from the second communication node comprises identifying a Media Access Control address associated with the third communication node.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising transmitting a registration from a non-server node to the server node having an address-mapping database associated with one or more non-server nodes, the registration including an Internet Protocol address and a Media Access Control address associated with the non-server node.

7. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising receiving an address resolution protocol request from a legacy node at the first communication node via a broadcast transmission and transmitting an address resolution protocol reply including address-mapping information to the legacy node from the first communication node via a unicast transmission.

8. A method as defined in claim 1 further comprising transmitting an address resolution protocol (ARP) request from the first communication node via a broadcast transmission to identify the second protocol address associated with the third communication node in response to receipt of a null address reply from the second communication node.

9. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

transmitting an address resolution protocol (ARP) request via a broadcast transmission in the event a reply to the UARP request is not received in a predetermined period of time.

10. An article of manufacture having instructions stored thereon that, if executed, cause a machine to:

transmit a unicast address resolution protocol (UARP) request from a first communication node to a second communication node via a unicast transmission, the UARP request including a first protocol address associated with a third communication node; and

identify a second protocol address associated with the third communication node at the first communication node based on address-mapping information from the second communication node, the second protocol address corresponding to the first protocol address associated with the third communication node,

wherein the first communication node comprises a source node, wherein the third communication node comprises a destination node to communicate with the source node, and wherein the second communication node comprises a server node to provide a protocol address associated with the destination node to the source node, and

wherein at least one of the first, second, or third communication node is associated with a wireless communication network.

11. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the machine to transmit the UARP request from the first communication node to the second communication node via a unicast transmission, wherein the UARP request includes a protocol address associated with the destination node, and wherein the server node includes an address-mapping database associated with a wireless mesh network.

12. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the machine to transmit the UARP request from the first communication node to the second communication node via a unicast transmission by transmitting a UARP request including an Internet Protocol address associated with the third communication node via a unicast transmission.

13. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the machine to identify the second protocol address associated with the third communication node at the first communication node based on the address-mapping information from the second communication node by identifying a protocol address associated with the destination node at the source node in response to receipt of an address reply including the address-mapping information from the server node via a unicast transmission.

14. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the machine to identify the second protocol address associated with the third communication node at the first communication node based on the address-mapping information from the second communication node by identifying a Media Access Control address associated with the third communication node.

15. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 10 , wherein the instructions, if executed, cause the machine to receive an address resolution protocol request from a legacy node at the first communication node via a broadcast transmission and transmit an address resolution protocol reply including address-mapping information to the legacy node from the first communication node via a unicast transmission.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a communication interface to transmit a unicast address resolution protocol (UARP) request from a first communication node to a second communication node via a unicast transmission, the UARP request including a first protocol address associated with a third communication node; and

an address resolver coupled to the communication interface to identify a second protocol address associated with the third communication node at the first communication node based on address-mapping information from the second communication node, the second protocol address corresponding to the first protocol address associated with the third communication node,

wherein the first communication node comprises a source node, wherein the third communication node comprises a destination node to communicate with the source node, and wherein the second communication node comprises a server node to provide a protocol address associated with the destination node to the source node, and

wherein at least one of the first, second, or third communication nodes is associated with a wireless communication network.

17. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the server node has an address-mapping database associated with the wireless mesh network.

18. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the UARP request comprises at least one of an Internet Protocol address associated with the first communication node, a Media Access Control address associated with the first communication node, or an Internet Protocol address associated with the third communication node.

19. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the address reply comprises a Media Access Control address associated with the third communication node.

20. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the address resolver is configured to initiate transmission of an address resolution protocol (ARP) from the first communication node via a broadcast transmission to identify the second protocol address associated with the third communication node in response to receipt of a null address reply from the second communication node.

21. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 , wherein the communication interface is configured to receive an address resolution protocol request from a legacy node at the first communication node via a broadcast transmission and transmit an address resolution protocol reply including address-mapping information to the legacy node from the first communication node via a unicast transmission.

22. An apparatus as defined in claim 16 further comprising an address-mapping database including the address-mapping information.

23. A system comprising:

a flash memory; and

a processor coupled to the flash memory to transmit a unicast address resolution protocol (UARP) request from a first communication node to a second communication node via a unicast transmission, and to

identify a protocol address associated with a third communication node at the first communication node based on address-mapping information from the second communication node,

wherein the first communication node comprises a source node, wherein the third communication node comprises a destination node to communicate with the source node, and wherein the second communication node comprises a server node to provide a protocol address associated with the destination node to the source node, and

wherein at least one of the first, second, or third communication nodes is associated with a wireless communication network.

24. A system as defined in claim 23 , wherein the server node has an address-mapping database associated with the wireless mesh network.

25. A system as defined in claim 23 , wherein the UARP request comprises at least one of an Internet Protocol address associated with the first communication node, a Media Access Control address associated with the first communication node, or an Internet Protocol address associated with the third communication node.

26. A system as defined in claim 23 , wherein the address reply comprises a Media Access Control address associated with the third communication node.

27. A system as defined in claim 23 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit an address resolution protocol (ARP) request from the first communication node via a broadcast transmission to identify the second protocol address associated with the third communication node in response to receipt of a null address reply from the second communication node.

28. A system as defined in claim 23 , wherein the processor is configured to receive an address resolution protocol request from a legacy node at the first communication node via a broadcast transmission and transmit an address resolution protocol reply including address-mapping information to the legacy node from the first communication node via a unicast transmission.

29. A system as defined in claim 23 , wherein the flash memory comprises an address-mapping database including address-mapping information associated with the wireless communication network.