Table 1.1 compares the wireless ad hoc networks and WMNs. The
primary differences between these two types of networks are mobility
of nodes and network topology. Wireless adshoc networks are high
mobility networks where the network topology changes dynamically.
On the other hand, WMNs do have a relatively static network with
most relay nodes fixed. Therefore, the network mobility of WMNs
is very low in comparison with wireless adshoc networks. The topological difference in these networks also contributes to the difference
in performance in routing. For example, while the on-demand
routing protocols perform better in wireless adshoc networks, the
relatively static hierarchical or table-driven routing protocols perform
better in WMNs. Due to the static topology, formed by fixed relay
nodes, of WMNs, most WMNs have better energy storage and power
source, thus removing one of the biggest constraint in wireless adshoc
networks—the energy constraint. Finally, another important difference
between these two categories of networks is the application
scenario. Unlike wireless adshoc networks, WMNs are used for both
military and civilian applications. Some of the popular civilian applications
of WMNs include provisioning of low-cost Internet services to
shopping malls, streets, and cities.