Flow-Based Channel Assignment in Channel Constrained Wireless Mesh Networks

Wireless mesh network (WMN) technology extends the service coverage by supporting multi-hop communication and enhances the network capacity by utilizing multi-radio and multichannel. The number of multiple channels is essential for the implementation and the efficiency of channel assignment. While the number of channels is not sufficient, channel assignment needs to consider the channel sharing at certain mesh routers (MRs). The distribution of traffic flows in the network greatly affects the channel assignment. Different to a mobile ad hoc network (MANET), the traffic in a WMN is predominated by the Internet traffic. In this paper, we analyze the number of channels for a feasible conflict free channel assignment in such a network. We also propose a flow-based channel assignment in the channel constrained situation by implementing channel mergence algorithm so that MRs can appropriately share the channel resource. Extensive simulations are performed to illustrate the effectiveness of our proposed scheme.