Mesh Network Standards

So glad Daily Wireless is back. From the post:

"Big news at the IEEE mesh standards meetup last week in Denver, reports TelecomWeb and WiFiNetNews: a standard for mesh networking may be coalescing.

The new standard, 802.11s, will create a protocol for auto-configuring paths between access points over self-configuring multi-hop networks. With a standard, interoperatiblity between vendors may be possible.

Currently, all "city clouds" that use mesh networking to interconnect nodes use proprietary technology. Placing a multi-million dollar bet on one supplier is asking for trouble. A mesh networking standard would likely lower both risk and cost."

Mesh Vendors
Source: Network World

Vendor	Product	Radios for client access	Radios for backhaul	Ethernet ports
BelAir Networks	BelAir 200	1 802.11b/g	Up to 3 proprietary 5GHz	Eight
Cisco	Aironet 1500	1 802.11b/g	1 802.11a	Zero
Firetide	HotPort 3203	1 802.11a/b/g	Same as for client access	Two
Nortel	Wireless AP 7220	1 802.11b	1 802.11a	One
Strix Systems	OWS 3600	Up to 3 802.11b/g	Up to 3 802.11a	One
Tropos Networks	5210 MetroMesh Router	1 802.11b/g	Same as for client access	One