Network solutions for employing COTS radios in multi-sector directional architectures

Central to this paper is the use of electronically-steered directional antennas with COTS radio technology to increase performance. In this paper, we describe a multi-sector wireless architecture using several such radios/antennas in a complete system. We discuss networking issues and solutions that arise due to this architecture including link discovery, signal tracking, handover, and the coordination of these between nodes. We also introduce the concept of using a ldquogateway aliasrdquo which provides transparent routing by allowing multiple radios to appear as a single node. The system has been implemented using high gain, switched-beam directional antennas and tested in an operational environment. Results and future direction are discussed.