Wireless mesh network configuration
A wireless mesh network employs an integrated interface between a plurality of access points for mitigating throughput degradation of multiple consecutive “daisy chain,” or mesh, links. The mesh network employs a plurality of access points, each linked back to a root access point by a series of “hops” through other access points. The wireless mesh network, therefore, employs a plurality of access points operable for wireless links to subscriber, or user, devices, including cellular phones, smart phones, tablet and laptop computing devices, or any suitable portable or handheld computing device. Access points establish an integrated interface with an adjacent access point for direct coupling of the access points for message traffic. The resulting integrated access point establishes a wireless link to a root access point connected to a backhaul network from which media services emanate.
1. A method for mesh network message transmission, comprising:
transmitting a message packet between a root access point and a first hop access point;
transmitting the message packet between the first hop access point and a coupled access point using an integrated interface, the integrated interface defined by a wired connection, the first hop access point transporting upstream wireless traffic and the coupled access point transporting downstream wireless traffic; and
transmitting the message packet between the coupled access point and at least one of a plurality of successive access points, the successive access points having a wireless transport to the coupled access point; the wired connection being substantially faster than the wireless transport between the successive access points,
transmitting the message packet between the root access point and the first hop access point including a high gain directional antenna, the high gain directional antenna for transmission between the first hop access point at a distance substantially greater than a mesh network hop between the successive access points; and
transmitting the message packet between at least one of the successive access points and a user device for providing wireless services.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmission includes a message for providing media service to an end user wirelessly connected to one of the plurality of successive access points.
3. The method of claim 2 further comprising connecting the first hop access point with a successive access point.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first hop access point invokes the integrated interface for downstream communications and the coupled access point invokes the integrated interface for upstream communications.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the integrated interface is defined by access points coupled via a wired transport medium in a back-to-back configuration.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first hop access point and the coupled access point are defined by a wired back-to-back coupling.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising selecting the wired connection based on a direction of the message packet, the direction being one of an upstream or downstream direction.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the first hop access point transmits messages in a downstream direction to the coupled access point via the wired connection, and the coupled access point transmits wirelessly to successive downstream access points; and
the coupled access point transmits messages in an upstream direction to the first hop access point via the wired connection, and the first hop access point transmits wirelessly to the root access point.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the wireless traffic includes a plurality of message packets, further comprising at least one message traffic transmitted upstream from the user device to the root access point, and at least one message packet transmitted downstream from the root access point to the user device.
10. A network interface device, comprising
a first hop access point coupled to a wireless access point using an integrated interface defined by a wired connection, the first hop access point transporting wireless traffic to and from a root node and the wireless access point transporting wireless traffic to and from a downstream access point, the wireless traffic including at least one message packet between a user device and the root node for providing wireless services;
an interface from the wireless access point to successive wireless access points, the successive wireless access points configured based on a maximum power usage, minimum throughput and a distance to the wireless access point,
the wired connection being substantially faster than a wireless transport between the successive access points; and
a high gain direction antenna interface to the root access point; the high gain direction antenna for transmitting the message packet between the root access point and the first hop access point, the first hop access point substantially more distant from the root access point than a mesh network hop between the successive access points, at least one of the successive access points operable to transmit the message packet between the successive access point and a user device for providing wireless sevices.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first hop access point transmits wirelessly only in an upstream direction and the coupled access point transmits wirelessly only in a downstream direction, the first hop access point and the coupled access point communicating via the integrated interface.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein the transmission includes a message for providing media service to an end user wirelessly connected to one of the plurality of successive access points.
13. A method of wireless data transport in a wireless mesh network comprising:
identifying, in a wireless mesh network having access points wirelessly coupled by network links, an integrated interface to an access point, the integrated interface defined by a wired connection further comprising directly connecting two of the access points, including a first hop access point, using the integrated interface such that message traffic follows the wired connection between the two directly connected access points, the first hop access point transporting upstream wireless traffic and the directly connected access point transporting downstream wireless traffic;
receiving, via the integrated interface, a message packet, the integrated interface coupling the two directly connected access points independently of the wireless mesh network links; and
transmitting the message packet via a single wireless hop between the first hop access point and a root access point, the root access point invoking a high-gain directional antenna, wherein the wireless links between successive access points are selected based on a distance to the root access point, maximum power usage and minimum throughput, the root access point establishing a link with a plurality of the first hop access points such that the first hop access point is substantially more distant from the root than a mesh network hop between the successive access points; and
transmitting the message packet between at least one of the successive access points and a user device for providing wireless services.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising daisy chaining a plurality of access points, the daisy chain terminating at the root access point.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the daisy chaining performs indirect relaying of the message packet between the user device and the root access point via the links between each of the access points.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein each daisy-chained link in the mesh network mitigates throughput by a cumulative factor.
17. The method of claim 14 further comprising
connecting a backhaul network to the root access point for serving the mesh network,
establishing a backhaul network connection to the root access point; and
establishing an access network connection via the integrated interface to the daisy chained access points.
18. The method of claim 17 wherein the message traffic is defined by a series of message packets between the user device and remote recipients via the root access point and the backhaul network.