The wireless mesh network technology has recently emerged as a promising solution to building large-scale wireless Internet with quick and easy deployment. It has numerous applications, such as broadband Internet access, building automation, and intelligent transportation systems. The indispensable technology enabling large-area roaming in wireless mesh networks is mobility management. Mobility management has been extensively studied in infrastructure-based single-hop wireless access networks. However, Internet-based hybrid wireless mesh networks involve multihop wireless access from users to the Internet. In such an environment, routing and wireless channel access over multihop wireless links can produce detrimental effects on the performance of mobility management in wireless mesh networks. This research develops scalable and cost-effective mobility management mechanisms for Internet-based hybrid wireless mesh networks. It emphasizes the integrated design of mobility management with efficient medium access control and wireless multihop routing, which was not considered in traditional mobility management design. This research will provide innovative techniques to numerous applications of the wireless mesh network technology. It also provides an excellent opportunity for graduate and undergraduate research students.
