MeshDynamics Delivers Persistent WiFi Network for Mobile Environments

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--MeshDynamics has enhanced its industry-leading MD4000 third generation WiFi wireless mesh nodes with new features offering better performance and reliability in mobile or mixed fixed/mobile environments. The new software, called Persistent 3rd-Generation Mesh (P3M) is intended for dynamic military, transportation, and public safety applications, as well as in critical applications such as mine safety.

In recent tests, the company demonstrated persistent high-throughput and low-delay and low-jitter networking as mobile wireless mesh nodes connected automatically with other mobile and fixed wireless mesh nodes. As some elements of the network moved out of WiFi range from other nodes, they automatically formed into separate independent networks, allowing communication to continue. When brought back into range, these network elements seamlessly reconnected with the rest of the network. All of this occurred without any operator intervention or reconfiguration and the process takes place in a fraction of a second.

MeshDynamics MD4000 nodes are already being used in tactical battlefield environments to transmit video, voice, and sensor data between moving armored vehicles. The new P3M features now allow for smaller groups that become separated from the main formation or column to maintain the same high performance among themselves while isolated, and then automatically rejoin the larger force when they again come into range.

The P3M features have also been proven in demanding underground mining environments, where possible cave-ins and other disasters may lead to a section of the network becoming isolated from the main portion of the network. With P3M technology, miners in the isolated sections may still communicate with one another, providing persistent Voice-over-IP and location capabilities and potentially speeding rescue.

Third-generation now fully mobile

Third-generation wireless mesh networking has always delivered higher performance in rooted environments than does traditional wireless mesh technology. This is primarily achieved through imposing a logical Structured MeshTM topology on the mesh network, with uplink and downlink paths minimizing turnaround and multiple radios optimizing performance. Typically, the "uplink" and "downlink" determinations have been made by the nodes themselves at network start-up, based on the location of the fixed fiber or copper connection to the Internet or enterprise backbone.

But the new P3M technology allows the nodes to structure the network dynamically, even if there is no fixed connection anywhere in the network or if the fixed connection is lost. Patent-pending route-finding algorithms permit the nodes to establish the optimal topology rapidly and to reconfigure quickly as nodes move in relation to one another and any fixed points. This allows for persistent high-performance networking, regardless of the topology formed by the mobile nodes.

Francis daCosta, Founder and CTO of MeshDynamics, contrasted the new technology with earlier generations of mesh networking. "In the past, one had to choose between very dynamic any-to-any node connectivity and the higher performance of third-generation mesh technology, which is structured. P3M technology creates structured mesh networks that deliver high performance for real-time requirements like video and voice, but these networks can now form and re-form nearly instantaneously in mobile environments. The end result for the customer is all the performance of a rooted network, but in a completely mobile environment."

Most other third-generation mesh competitors rely on sectored antennas or other fixed means of establishing network topology. Instead, MeshDynamics uses distributed RF intelligence in each node to locate other network nodes, create links, select channels, and manage interference. This allows the network to respond rapidly to the changing conditions imposed by node mobility while preserving the 50X+ performance advantage of third-generation wireless mesh.

Persistent 3rd-generation mesh (P3M) technology is available now and included at no additional charge in MeshDynamics' current software release. Existing customers may contact the company to inquire about upgrades.

About Third-Generation Wireless Mesh

First-generation wireless mesh networking products serve both users and backhaul (node-to-node) connections with a single 802.11b radio. Easy to deploy, these solutions were popular in pioneering municipal deployments, but many users were disappointed by low bandwidth performance, excessive delay and jitter, and poor support of voice and video due to contention for the single radio channel. Second-generation wireless mesh products added a second radio to each node to segregate backhaul and service traffic, but contention still limits bandwidth and delay and jitter performance.

Third-generation wireless mesh networking solutions offer much higher performance, especially in multi-hop topologies, by providing multiple separate paths for backhaul communications as well as one or more service radios in each node. MeshDynamics is the first to accomplish this through dynamic channel-agile radio management. Unlike other hardware-focused solutions, MeshDynamics products offer the power of third-generation performance but deploy as easily as first-generation solutions. Delivered on 802.11 protocols today, MeshDynamics' radio-agnostic technology allows easy future migration to WiMAX and other radio technologies.

Unlike other third-generation solutions, MeshDynamics' technology is based on distributed radio-frequency software intelligence in each wireless mesh networking node, not expensive proprietary RF switching hardware, custom radios, or costly specialized antennas. This makes MeshDynamics' MD4000 family of Structured MeshTM wireless nodes extremely cost-effective compared to hardware-focused third generation solutions.

About MeshDynamics, Inc.

MeshDynamics delivers one of the only third-generation wireless mesh networking solutions for high-performance outdoor data, voice, and video networking. Based on sophisticated dynamic channel-agile networking algorithms, MeshDynamics' MD4000 family of Structured Mesh™ wireless nodes deliver very low-latency and low-jitter performance, even over multi-hop topologies where many earlier generation wireless mesh networking products fail. MeshDynamics' products are in use worldwide in mining and industrial, homeland security/defense, transportation, and metro/municipal network applications. MeshDynamics, Inc. is privately held and headquartered in Santa Clara, CA. More information at: www.meshdynamics.com