Efficient Multicasting in Wireless Mesh Networks Using Steiner Trees

Abstract

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) are a communications network consisting of nodes arranged in a mesh topology. It has emerged as the new hot topic in wireless communication. [1]

In a WMN, the network connection is spread out among dozens or even hundreds of wireless mesh nodes that communicate with each other to share the network connection across a large area. Mesh nodes are small radio transmitters that function in the same way as a wireless router. Nodes use the common Wi-Fi standards to communicate wirelessly with users and with each other. Only one node needs to be physically wired to a network connection like an Internet modem. That one wired node then shares its Internet connection wirelessly with all other nodes in its vicinity. Those nodes then share the connection wirelessly with the nodes closest to them. The more nodes, the further the connection spreads, creating a wireless "cloud of connectivity" that can serve a small office or a city of millions.