DES-Chan: A framework for distributed channel assignment in wireless mesh networks

In this paper we present the DES-Chan framework for experimentally-driven research on distributed channel assignment algorithms in wireless mesh networks. The implementation process of channel assignment algorithms is a difficult task for the researcher since common operating systems do not support channel assignment algorithms out of the box. DES-Chan provides a set of common services required by distributed channel assignment algorithms. The modular architecture of DES-Chan allows the extensions with further modules or the modifications of existing ones. As a proof of concept, we present a reference implementation of a distributed greedy channel assignment algorithm. We evaluate its performance in the DES-Testbed, a multi-transceiver wireless mesh network (WMN) with 100 nodes at the Freie Universität Berlin.