Wi-Fi Alliance's Wi-Fi EasyMesh Certification Aims To Standardize Mesh Networks (pcworld.com)

The Wi-Fi Certified EasyMesh program that the Wi-Fi Alliance announced today promises to do for mesh networks what the Alliance has long done for wireless networking gear in general: Assure consumers that they can build out wireless home networks without worrying if one brand of device will be compatible with another. From a report: The emergence of mesh networking somewhat undermined that effort, because every manufacturer pursued its own path. Wi-Fi is still Wi-Fi, so you don't need to worry that your smartphone, or media streamer, or home security camera will connect to your wireless router, regardless of brand. But if you buy a Linksys Velop router today, for example, you can buy only Linksys Velop access points if you want to expand your network to cover more areas of your home later. EasyMesh promises to bring to mesh networks the same interoperability assurances that conventional routers have long offered.

Comments

This could be ubiquitous.

[technosaurus]

If they don't screw it up with ghost patents, this could be in every vehicle, phone and IOT dohickey. Making the net more open.

Re:This could be ubiquitous.

[BlueStrat]

If they don't screw it up with ghost patents, this could be in every vehicle, phone and IOT dohickey. Making the net more open.

One other possible hurdle to overcome is the possible push-back from government/LEAs/TLAs as this would make slurping up and cross-indexing every domestic US message and email much harder for them. Just look at how they've come out against strong & secure data encryption, they won't like this either. It might even go so far as forcing them to get individual warrants based on probable cause, and that's unacceptable to modern US law enforcement and domestic spy agencies. No doubt they'll roll out the standard "terrists!", "drug dealers!", and "pedophiles!" memes to attempt to derail or compromise such an initiative.

In Soviet Amerika, you protect the 4th Amendment.

Strat

Re:WiFi alliance?

[Sarten-X]

The standard defines the protocol and technical details. The alliance defines the legal framework that lets vendors cheaply implement the standard, without worrying about touching each others' patents, or exposing themselves to other liabilities. It also allows vendors to gain the marketable feature of a "works with other brands" logo, and the legal ability to sue others that use that logo without actually being compatible.

In a perfect world where everyone was honest and patient and only implemented standards perfectly, business alliances wouldn't add anything. In this world, however, they add a legal and political safety net for vendors.

Re:WiFi alliance?

[jrumney]

WiFi Alliance adds interoperability. Complying with the IEEE standard does not guarantee that, as the current situation with mesh networks, and the mid-1990s wireless networking situation demonstrate. There are too many optional things for the standard to cover, so until someone makes some standard subsets with conformance tests, no two manufacturers are going to implement things the same way.

802.11s

[enriquevagu]

That's funny, because the IEEE already standardized 802.11s for mesh networking in 2012. Is this a new amendment for the same thing, or simply a certification process? The article gives no clue.

Do I have to "agree to terms"?

[mi]

The single most annoying issue with WiFi providers today is the need to "Accept the Terms" and/or acknowledge their greatness (and generosity) before the WiFi actually works. From Amtrak, to college-provided networks, to supermarkets, to dental offices, all seem intent on following the same awful example, which is, apparently, suggested by every lazy lawyer out there.

Worse, the processing of these consent-pages takes up valuable time and bandwidth — instead of using the brief WiFi availability to check my e-mail, the phone wastes time (and bandwidth) downloading the fancy "Sign In" pages with multiple pictures, CSS', redirects (and even the entire jquery.js in some of them).

Though it is not by itself a technology problem, I think, any WiFi-related "initiative", that does not address it, is a waste of time...

Re:Use your cell phone

[mi]

Ah, my apologies. In that rant you weren't arguing for "Municipal WiFi", but rather for "Municipal Fiber". Not that I think, that would make much difference to the argument, but technically I was incorrect.