Implementing and evaluating three routing protocols in dual-radio-dual-mode IEEE 802.11(b) wireless mesh networks

Abstract

In a dual-radio-dual-mode IEEE 802.11(b) wireless mesh network (WMN), each mesh access point has two IEEE 802.11(b) interfaces. One interface operates in infrastructure mode to serve IEEE 802.11(b) client devices so that they can readily use the mesh network without any software modification or installation. The other interface operates in ad hoc mode to forward packets among mesh access points until they reach an Internet gateway or the access point with which the destination client device is associated. Compared with a single-radio WMN, such a WMN offers ease of use and higher network throughputs for client devices. In this paper, we implement and evaluate the performance of three routing protocols (OSPF, AODV, and STP) operating in dual-radio-dual-mode IEEE 802.11(b) WMNs. Our simulation results show that among the tested protocols, OSPF provides the highest system total througput and results in the largest number of stable connections in such a WMN. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.