Nowadays it’s popular to extend wireless signals in large houses through using mesh networking, which is flexible and easy to set up. Especially for those houses without cabling, WiFi mesh networking is the best solution. Then, what is mesh networking? What are the advantages and features? This article will make an introduction and present the V-SOL mesh networking (EasyMesh) Solution.
Part I. What is Mesh Networking?
Mesh is a topology that means all nodes will connect to each other and each node connects to at least two other nodes, which forms the network. Routers supporting mesh will generate a mesh network. Different access points can connect mesh networking in different methods. In the network, SSID is unified and the wireless devices can search to connect the best AP. The switching between different AP is seamless, which can achieve better roaming. During the roaming, the lower the packet loss, latency, jitter.
Advantages of V-SOL Mesh Networking:
✔ Unified SSID and network management
✔ Fast pairing
✔ WiFi signals full coverage
✔ Fluent roaming
✔ Built-in LP chip to increase signal coverage
✔ Built-in LNA to improve the stability of data transmission
Part II. Three Methods of Mesh Networking
Method 1: Wireless (WiFi) Mesh Networking
In fact, there are two versions of wireless mesh networking. One is based on IEEE 802.11s, the other is based on EasyMesh which is widely adopted today. V-SOL also uses EasyMesh. 802.11s focuses on the setup of the mesh network, while EasyMesh lays emphasis on how to set up mesh WiFi networks easily.
The following image shows the structure of wireless EasyMesh networking. There is a main router and two or more mesh WiFi slave routers. The main router uplink connects to OLT.
Method 2: Wired Mesh Networking
Wired networking requires deploying cabling in advance to connect all routers together. The setup of wired mesh networking is more complicated because the deploying methods of cabling are different. Before wired networking, the wireless networking should be finished. When there are many slave routers, the switch will be placed to connect to the main router and slave routers.
Method 3: Hybrid Mesh Networking
It means some routers networks with wired and others are wireless connections. In other words, it’s a combination of the above 2 methods.
Part III. V-SOL Mesh (EasyMesh) Networking Solution
In this solution, we will take an example with V-SOL products including ONU devices V2801 series and HG3610ACM/HG323AC-B.
ONU Router V2801: There is a PON port and a GE port with built-in firewall for security. It supports both EPON and GPON.
Mesh Router HG3610ACM: It takes 1GE and 1FE ports and supports dual-band concurrent operation at 2.4GHz and 5GHz with combined throughput of 1.2Gbps. The device is equipped with 4 gain antennas to enhance the signal. A round button helps match with other wireless mesh routers easily.
The ONU V2801 uplink connects to the optical splitter and OLT. An HG3610ACM router that works as the main router connects to the ONU with cable. The main router and the ONU and be replaced with V-SOL HG323AC-B that has a PON port. As for the connections between main routers and other slave routers deployed in the house, the three methods mentioned above can be selected.
Features of V-SOL Mesh (EasyMesh) Networking Solution:
● One-clink pairing
● Plug and Play
● Hybrid networking
● Built-in PA and LNA
● EasyMesh
Q&A on Choosing Mesh Routers：
Q1: How many mesh routers should purchase? How large the area can be covered?
A1: It depends on the area, structure, and material of the house. There is no exact result.
Generally, 1 router for leveling zone with 2 rooms; 2 routers for big leveling zone with 4 rooms; 3 routers for levering/duplex house with 5-6 rooms. Over 3 routers for the villa.
Q2: Which mesh networking method should choose?
A2: Normally the signals of the wired mesh network will be stronger than that of the wireless mesh network. If you don’t deploy cables in your house, wireless networking is the priority.
The above is a brief introduction of mesh networking and related solutions. You can turn to the previous article describing setting up mesh WiFi networks or the below video to learn more. Comment to let us know what you are interested in!
