(2) A network that provides Wi-Fi connectivity within an urban or suburban environment. It comprises "mesh routers," which are a combination base station (access point) and router in one device. Also called "mesh nodes," they are typically installed on street light poles, from which they obtain their power.
Access Point and Backhaul Router
Like any Wi-Fi access point, the access point in the mesh router communicates with the mobile users in the area. The backhaul side of the device relays the traffic from router to router wirelessly until it reaches a gateway that connects to the Internet or other private network mostly via a wired connection, but that could also be wireless.
A major benefit of wireless mesh networks is path diversity, which provides many routes to the Internet in case one of the routers fails or its transmission path is temporarily blocked. The choice in routing algorithm is critical, and numerous mesh algorithms have been used over the years.
Number of Radios
Mesh routers can employ one, two or three radios. A single-radio router shares bandwidth between users and the backhaul. If two radios are used, one is dedicated to the frontside clients and the other to the backhaul. In three-radio routers, two radios are used for the backhaul and can transmit and receive simultaneously over different Wi-Fi channels. See 802.11.