Using node position to improve the robustness of the IEEE 802.11s authentication mechanism for wireless mesh networks

Wireless Mesh networks (WMNs) are gaining popularity as a scalable replacement for Wired Network infrastructure. The increasing popularity of WMNs has prompted the development of security mechanisms. The newly-ratified IEEE 802.11s mesh networking standard specifies a security mechanism that builds upon the IEEE 802.11i security standard meant for wireless local area networks. The IEEE 802.11s security mechanism specifies the existence of a single Mesh key Distributor (MKD) which helps to authenticate new nodes that join the network However, there is no mechanism for selecting a new MKD if the current MKD is unreachable or has failed. This scenario can arise due to the dynamic nature of WMN backbone topologies, wireless link variability in deployed networks and battery depletion in battery-powered WMNs. MKD selection in a disperse settlement where WMN infrastructure could be deployed can be performed by adapting the position-based Leader Selection Algorithms from Wireless Sensor Networks. This paper evaluates the influence of distance and event position-based leader selection algorithms on MKD selection when subjected to different rounds and network sizes. The evaluation showed that the event-based algorithms (EDC & EECED) outperform the distance-based algorithms (EDBCP & EDBC) in the achieved performance for communication overhead cost, leader selection delay and the energy consumption rate.