Extreme Networks, Inc.
Routing method and system for a wireless network

Abstract:

A method and system for selecting a route in a wireless network for the transmission of a data packet between wireless nodes in the network using a modified link-state routing algorithm. A subset of nodes called portal nodes within the network are elected to do the broadcasting for the entire network. A wireless node identifies a unicast route back to its root portal node, and sends a link-state register message to this portal node. These link-state register messages received by each portal node are aggregated by them and are broadcast to each of the wireless nodes for storage. When a data packet is thereafter received by a wireless node from a neighboring node, it detects if the data packet satisfies one of a plurality of predetermined conditions and rebroadcasts the data packet to neighboring wireless nodes if none of the conditions is satisfied.