Mesh Networking

Mesh Networking is an ad-hoc, local area network infrastructure where the nodes communicate directly with each other without the need to pass through a central structure such as an ISP.

In a full mesh topology, each network node (workstation or other device) is connected directly to each of the others. In a partial mesh topology, some nodes are connected to all the others, but others are only connected to those nodes with which they exchange the most data. Mesh networks are expected to play an important part in the Internet of Things (IoT). Unlike nodes in a star topology, which require a router to deliver Internet service, network nodes can "talk" directly to each other without requiring the assistance of an Internet connection. A big advantage of this decentralized topology is that there cannot be a single point of failure (SPoF). If one node can no longer operate, the others can still communicate with each other, directly or through one or more intermediate nodes.