Automatic Channel Assignment and Topology Optimization in Multi-Radio Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless mesh networks, comprised of nodes with multiple radio interfaces, are a promising technology for broadband residential Internet access or to provide connectivity for data transfer. In order to simplify network deployment, auto-configuration procedures that provide automatic network start-up, with minimum manual configuration of nodes, are increasingly important. In order to maximize the utilization of radio resources, efficient algorithms to select the optimal channel for the current radio propagation conditions are required. Typically, administrators manually determine the channels according to the measured signal propagation, and manually configure devices.