Understanding Mesh Networking (feat. MikroTik Audience)

Mesh networking is a broad term that can cover a multitude of different network products. One key feature for good Mesh Networking is tri-band, the ability to use 3 different radios, one specifically for the nodes to communicate. Here is my look at tri-band mesh networking using the MikroTik Audience to demonstrate the advantages of tri-band mesh networking.

This video also doubles as a MikroTik Audience review.




#garyexplains

[UtkarshUpadhyayTheGreat]

Yes! Please make a video! Never heard of 802.11 R, K, etc.

[briancampbell]

Watched Gary's Wifi extender video first and then this video and it made my choosing a Wifi extender vs Wifi Mesh network much easier i.e. The Mesh network is the clear choice. A very well put together video presented in a clear way that everyone can understand the different concepts. Thank you for taking the time.

[toddmarshall]

Reinventing the wheel...worse.

Over 20 years ago (and before IP) we had ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode). It could do "hops" several orders of magnitude faster than IP. The carriers used it to configure the backbone. It was a layer 2 protocol where IP is a layer 3 protocol. To do voice (i.e. VoIP), IP has to do 20 hops or less to reach a destination in less than 1/8th second. This required a "backbone"...and that kept the carriers in business.

The carriers used PVC (Permanent Virtual Circuits)...all manually engineered and provisioned. But the protocol had the exact feature we needed for mesh networks...that being SVC (Switched Virtual Circuits). It could dynamically set up multiple connections between nodes. And "connections" is the key issue. It didn't broadcast packets...it delivered in order on a dedicated "virtual" connection. Broadcast was an unnecessary option. And the so-called "backhaul" (i.e. control channel...now improperly used by Twitter) could be set up as just a slower speed, higher QoS (Quality of Service) connection if needed.

Back then I observed that IP used six different protocols (e.g MPLS, IPSec, DiffSrv, IntSrv, ...etc.) to do what ATM did natively.

Follow the money: Cisco and Intel squashed ATM. Further, there was UWB (Ultra Wide Band) at layer 1. It got squashed too.

If we just rediscovered these two technologies, we could have every device (e.g. phone, computer, car, building...) be a node. UWB could communicate between the nodes using DSSS (Discrete Sequence Spread Spectrum...at 1 terabit speeds) faster and more robustly than WiFi does now. And we wouldn't need a backbone. And better yet, as density goes up, bandwidth goes up and power needed goes down. What's not to love about ATM/UWB?

We don't need to re-invent. We need to re-discover.

[bleedseason]

Great video! Explained a complicated topic in an accessible way.

[alvinee]

Thank you! Really appreciate you making this understandable!

[soragranda]

I want to see the wifi 6e version of this setup in a couple of years, with 6ghz band!

[puntuated]

Thanks. A very clear video. You highlight many aspects that I found difficult to understand previously. The only point I have is on whether the obvious technical advantages of a mesh system outweighs the much less cost of adopting a router plus range extenders. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[edfx]

What if you always going to use ethernet backhaul and don't care about configuring each node individually, but greadly need seamless roaming. Should I still go fo mesh or multiple APs? One of the nodes need to be weatherproof since its going in my grarden.

[GuidoBordonaro]

I'm having so many problems in deciding how to wire my house internet, mostly I can't understand how the seamless switch works... For now my only solution is two access point with the same ssid and password... So please I need the seamless switch video in my life.

[muddyexport]

3 very good and informative videos on WiFi network topologies and interworkings. I would be most "pleased" if you would continue this series to "explain" the other topics you have mentioned. Great reference vids that I have saved for when CRS rears its ugly head, again.

[chrisarmstrong]

is it possible to increase bandwidth, also what affordable open source mesh routers are there as i bought an asus mesh but now tp link has deals so it would be better to use open mesh and be able to mix and match hardware as each still uses open wrt. O and what about redundant gateway, duel modems to duel 1st nodes for redundancy. On typical home meshes there is only one modem and the first or master node which share the internet across the mesh. Any way to add redundancy?

[Appalling]

Let me see if I understand this. I live in a fairly large two-story house. Right now, my Asus RT-AC86U router is serving up the wi-fi signal to the entire house. Of course, the problem is range and walls. The router is located in my small office in the downstairs corner of the house. The signal arrives to the living room (two walls away) quite weak but somewhat usable to stream Netflix or whatever to our TV. The signal is even weaker arriving upstairs to my kids rooms, where they often have trouble with connection speeds due to signal degradation.

So how would I do this? I have to buy at least two of these units, one of which is parked in my office and the other upstairs somewhere? Or would I have to buy three units, one as the base unit in my office, one for the living room, and one upstairs? Would I connect via an ethernet cable from my Asus router to the unit in my office? Just trying to get a handle on this.

[kayvonSadeghi-k]

Interesting and generally informative. But something does not make sense here. If the cell phone on 5GHz at the corner of the house only gets 10%, how does adding a mesh in the same room gives you 60%? The mesh unit connects on a 5GHz, so it should also be at 10%. So, the cell phone connected to the 2nd mesh unit cannot exceed the 10%. Can you explain that?

[njain]

How did you like the Mikrotik interface.I tried installing Cap AC but could never get the 5 GHz to work.

[geoffpool]

Great presentation! I would love to see another video about the R and K standards.

[AsafShahar]

It was interesting to compare it to an access point connected to LAN.

[marine]

Can you unboxing and review the MikroTik Audience

[autohmae]

My big question is: could it be the backhaul is actually using directional antennas ?

[GlenKowalchuk]

Hey Gary, how do I wirelessly mesh my 4 audiences with my home router?

[MarkKeller]

*GARY!!!*
*Good morning Professor!*
*Good morning fellow classmates!*
Stay Safe Out There Everyone!*