What is mesh networking, and why Apple’s adoption in iOS 7 could change the world

With iOS 7, Apple snuck in a very interesting feature that has mostly gone unnoticed: Mesh networking for both WiFi and Bluetooth. It also seems that Google is working to add mesh networking to Android, too. When it comes to ubiquitous connectivity, mobile computing, and the growing interest in the internet of things, it is not hyperbolic to say that mesh networking could change the fabric of society. But, I hear you ask, what is mesh networking? I’m glad you asked.

What is mesh networking?

One of the most important factors when discussing networking is topology. In basic terms, the topology describes how the various members (nodes) of a network are connected together. Most small networks (your office, your home) use a star topology, with a central node (a switch/router) connected to a bunch of clients (your laptop, smartphone, Xbox, etc.) The star topology dictates that if one client wants to talk to another (say, you want to send a photo from your laptop to your Xbox), the data must go through the central point (the router).

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