MAC-Filter Based Topology Control for WLAN Mesh Networks

WLAN Mesh Networks (WMNs) are a promising network architecture for IoT applications due to their self-healing and robust network formation capabilities. The IEEE 802.11s amendment standard integrates mesh functionality into the WLAN MAC layer, ensuring seamless peering and routing. Initially designed for testing, the Linux implementation of IEEE 802.11s includes basic peer link blocking mechanisms. Based on this, we present a new MAC address filtering approach for reliable topology control in WLAN mesh networks. Our modifications to the Linux kernel enable persistent link blocking and bidirectional link teardown, preventing the sporadic establishment of unwanted connections. Real-world experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.