Improving network performance in a system comprising a group of network interface nodes between a self-organising network and a shared access network

摘要

A system for communicating packet data comprises a group of network interface nodes 313-315, each interface node 313-315 being a member of a self-organizing network, e.g. wireless mesh network 310, and having access to a respective communication link with a shared access network 320, and a control protocol to enable network performance improvements. The network performance improvements comprise at least one of preventing broadcast loops between the self-organizing network 310 and the shared access network 320, avoiding forwarding more than one copy of a packet from the shared access network 320 onto the self-organizing network 310, and routing a packet that specifies a source and a destination via a best path within the self-organizing network 310 according to the source and the destination.