A Cross-Layer Routing Scheme for Scalable Triple Play Service in Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) are a potentially valuable type of new generation communication systems, that allow wired and wireless networks to be easily integrated. Routing plays a central role in WMNs, due to their multi-hop structure and the need to identify the best routes to the gateways that can provide an acceptable performance for demanding applications such as in triple play services, including traditional data applications, voice, and video over IP. A scheme for scalable routing in Multi-Channel Multi-Radio WMNs has been developed to improve the traffic performance in this callenging scenario, named Cross-layer Routing schEme for scAlable Triple play sErvices (CREATE) in WMNs. CREATE employs a clustering routing scheme which relies on a cross-layer routing metric and on an inter-cluster routing procedure for load balancing. A simulation study to assess the impact of the routing metrics on the different applications that form triple play services was carried out, and provided important insigth to support the choice of the metric to be used on the proposed routing scheme. By combining clustering, inter-cluster load balancing and an interference and load aware routing metric, CREATE has the potential for scalable multi-hop WMNs in the presence of challenging traffic patterns, such as Triple Play Services.