User's Manual Part 1

Introduction MeshMAX 5054 Series User Guide
Introduction to Wi-Fi and Mesh Networking
9
Figure 1-1 Typical Wireless Network Access Infrastructure
Mesh Networking
Using the ORiNOCO Mesh Creation protocol (OMCP), the Mesh and Access Point Module supports structured Mesh
networking.
In a Mesh network, access points use their wireless interface as a backhaul to the rest of the network. Access points
connected directly to the wired infrastructure are called “Portals;” Mesh Access Points relay packets to other Mesh
Access Points to reach the Portal, dynamically determining the best route over multiple “hops.”
Mesh networks are self-configuring (a Mesh access point will scan for other Mesh Access Points periodically and choose
the best path to the portal) and self-healing (the network will reconfigure data paths if an AP or link fails or becomes
inactive).
Mesh Network Convergence
Mesh networks are formed when Mesh APs on the same channel have the identical Mesh SSID, security settings, and
management VLAN ID when VLAN is enabled. As these Mesh APs come online, they discover and set up links with each
other to form the Mesh network.