Quail Ridge Wireless Mesh Network: Experiences, Challenges and Findings

Wireless mesh networks are becoming a popular alternative to extending the wireless LANs we use today. Low-cost incremental deployment and the lack of a wired infrastructure lends mesh networks to "last-mile" solutions for ISPs or simply to aid in increased coverage area. In addition, we find that mesh networks are appropriate for our work in establishing a communication infrastructure at the quail ridge natural reserve. In deploying a mesh network at quail ridge, we seek to assist ecological research in the area and provide a testbed for wireless mesh networks research in the future. We are interested in looking at pursuing novel techniques for routing, QoS provisioning and wireless monitoring and maintenance tools. This paper will describe our work in the quail ridge mesh network. It will give the reader an overview of our current system, deployment status, and how this test-bed will benefit mesh networks research.