Wireless mesh networks: Cross layer design challenge!!

Recently, wireless mesh networks as a promising newcomer in wireless access technology, has caught the attention of networking industries. These networks are envisioned to support the wired backbone with a wireless backbone for providing internet connectivity to residential areas and office. WMNs have the potential to eliminate many of disadvantages by offering low-cost, wireless broadband Internet access both for fixed and mobile users. Cross-layer design have risks due to loss of protocol layer abstraction, incompatibility with existing protocols, unforeseen impact on the future design of the network, and difficult in maintenance and management. In order to improve protocol efficiency, cross layer design becomes indispensable. This article highlights some of the past achievement and promising research avenues for an important topic in the creation of future wireless mesh networks. This article also address the issue of cross layer networking in the physical layer, network layer and transport layer.