Wi-Fi Alliance
introduced the new Wi-Fi standard EasyMesh to create flexible mesh networks. According to the developers, EasyMesh will allow you to build networks that combine mobile devices and IoT gadgets from different manufacturers.
Under the cut, we’ll tell you how the technology works, what it took, and what they think about Wi-Fi EasyMesh in the community.
/ Flickr / Carl Nenzén Lovén / CCHow technology works
The
official document of the Wi-Fi Alliance noted that the new technology defines access point control protocols, traffic routing mechanisms in the network and data objects necessary for automatic control of access points.
EasyMesh uses controllers to manage the network of connected Wi-Fi access points. Controllers are logical entities that can be part of any network device or gateway. The controller is responsible for connecting to the network of other gadgets that support Wi-Fi EasyMesh. It accepts metrics and data on the technical capabilities of devices on the network and controls the operating modes of the access point agents.
Wi-Fi EasyMesh agents are also logical entities that execute controller commands and send their status data to it. At the same time, they act as an interface for client devices.
The number of agents and controllers in the Wi-Fi network EasyMesh can be changed depending on the user's needs: for some it will be more convenient to use one controller and two agents, for others - one controller and several agents. This opens up wide opportunities for network scaling.
Wi-Fi EasyMesh supports most
IEEE 802.11 compliant network technologies, namely:
- Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz;
- Wi-Fi 5 GHz (lower band): channels 36 to 65; U-NII-1; U-NII-2A;
- Wi-Fi 5 GHz (high band): channels 100 to 165; U-NII-2C; U-NII-3;
- Ethernet
After placing the access points in the room, the agents establish a connection to the network for data transmission. This is done via Wi-Fi or wired connection. When the connection is established, the controllers and agents detect each other using a special protocol created based on the
IEEE 1905.1 standard. The controller requests information about the connected agents (what kind of devices they are) and their technical capabilities (how many radio access points each agent has, which Wi-Fi versions it supports, and so on).
Based on the information collected, the controller decides how to optimize the connection of each agent, ensuring the best performance (in particular, the connection option is selected - wired, wireless or combined). Depending on the conditions in which the network is deployed, the controller may “ask” agents to change the channel, lower the transmit power, or report that a certain bandwidth has been reached.
You can read about other features of the Wi-Fi EasyMesh technology functionality in the
official document of the Wi-Fi Alliance (to receive it, you need to fill out a form on the website).
What are the advantages
Among the advantages of the technology are
the following:
- Easy to set up . Access points can find each other and configure the network on their own, almost without requiring user intervention.
- Minimum requirements . Supports 802.11n standard and (optional) 802.11ac .
- Client steering support . The system can direct the client to the access point with the best signal.
- Dynamic selection of communication channel . Access points can switch between channels and dynamically control transmit power, optimizing overall network performance.
/ Flickr / Petras Gagilas / CCTo whom it will be profitable
At NetBeez, which develops solutions for monitoring corporate networks,
they believe that the standard will primarily benefit ordinary users. This is due to the fact that certified access points will meet certain security requirements (Wi-Fi certified WPA2) and communication quality. At the same time, users
can select several devices from different manufacturers and create their own reliable network.
In the Alliance itself, it is stated that EasyMesh will allow device manufacturers to add unique features to their solutions in order to stand out among competitors in the market. However, so far only
AirTies , ARRIS and ASSIA
have declared their intention to introduce the standard into their gadgets. Intel, Broadcom and Qualcomm (which are not engaged in mesh networks) only expressed their support for it.
This is partly due to the fact that large companies - Orbi, NetS, LinkSys, Google Wi-Fi and Eero - are implementing their own version of mesh networks. The principles of their construction are the same, but they are all incompatible with each other. Eero is
not sure whether they will implement the new standard from the Wi-Fi Alliance. The company has its own mesh network (TrueMesh), the work of which they optimize and improve on their own. The same applies to
other IT giants who find it more profitable to develop their own solutions, rather than form a single mesh ecosystem.
Therefore, there is
no certainty that the standard will take root. However, if young companies enter the market who want to adapt Wi-Fi EasyMesh, the standard can become part of everyday life.
Additional blog reading on the VAS Experts website:
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