
Networking Question - Coly010
Could mobile devices not be set up to pass along network packets, turning them into switches meaning that as long as a string of devices remained within a certain reach of each other, one singular network path could be formed between them
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savethefuture
Creating a network with just mobile devices in close proximity of each other,
like a p2p mesh? As long as you have some software running on each of the
devices I dont see why you couldnt do something like this.

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greenyoda
Most mesh networks have fixed routers that can be plugged into electrical
outlets or solar panels. But mobile devices have only battery power, and if
your device is constantly transmitting and receiving other people's data, its
battery life is going to suffer.

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Coly010
Well, understandably, battery life isn't currently where it's at to handle
such a p2p network, but the idea could be useful. If it was developed
accordingly, there could be many uses from it. Carrying internet connectivity
across a city could be as simple as having one singular transmitter, which
would connect to at the very least, one device. This device could pass the
connectivity to other devices, which could pass it on to other devices,
increasing the range, albeit, slowing down the overall speed. It would also be
useful for the sharing of resources between a private WAN. I think anyway, I'm
still new to the subject.

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niftich
Some recommended reading:

Mesh networks: commodity multihop ad hoc networks (2005) [1]

The IEEE 802.11s Extended Service Set Mesh Networking Standard (2008) [2]

Wireless Mesh Networking: Architectures, Protocols and Standards (2006) [3]

[1]
[https://doi.org/10.1109/MCOM.2005.1404606](https://doi.org/10.1109/MCOM.2005.1404606)
[http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1404606/](http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/1404606/)
[2]
[https://doi.org/10.1109/MCOM.2008.4597114](https://doi.org/10.1109/MCOM.2008.4597114)
[http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/4597114/](http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/4597114/)
[3]
[https://www.amazon.com/dp/0849373999/](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0849373999/)

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Coly010
Thanks for this!

