Mesh Network

A mesh network is a network topology in which each node is connected to multiple neighboring nodes, forming a web of redundant paths that enables self-healing, decentralized routing, and graceful degradation under node failure. Unlike star or tree topologies that concentrate traffic through central switches, mesh networks distribute both traffic and control, making them resilient to single points of failure and censorship.

In wired form, mesh networks appear in high-performance computing interconnects and parallel computing backplanes, where the topology determines the communication latency between processors. In wireless form, they enable ad-hoc networks that form without central infrastructure: sensor networks deployed in remote environments, community mesh networks providing internet access in areas lacking ISP coverage, and military networks designed to survive jamming and node destruction.

The routing problem in mesh networks is distributed: each node must make forwarding decisions based only on local information about its immediate neighbors and their announced capabilities. routing protocols like OLSR and B.A.T.M.A.N. implement this through periodic link-state flooding, while newer protocols use reinforcement learning to adapt routes to traffic patterns. The fundamental tradeoff is between routing table size (which grows with network diameter) and path optimality (which requires global knowledge). Mesh networks sacrifice optimal paths for operational resilience — a tradeoff that appears in distributed systems, biological networks, and social networks alike.