Demo: Framework for Rapidly Reproducible Wireless Mesh Network Testbeds

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) promise to offer robust, reliable, and economically scalable communication, surpassing traditional wired and wireless network infrastructures across diverse applications. Currently, most of the active research in this field often relies on simulations for validating new theories, due to cost constraints associated with physical setups. However, simulation software typically features simplified hardware abstractions that limit extensive configurability and fail to mirror real-world performance accurately. This paper addresses the need for a robust WMN testbed capable of overcoming these challenges. Our framework complements simulation results by facilitating practical, real-world experiments. Specifically, we present a versatile testbed framework supporting configurations such as Multi-Radio Multi-Channel, Multi-Radio Single-Channel, and Single-Radio Single-Channel mesh interfaces. Leveraging Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computing devices, our setup emphasizes reproducibility and scalability. Key features include automation of network setup to ensure reproducibility, telemetry collection and storage for network performance analysis, and a web-based dashboard for visualizing network topology and key performance metrics. This demonstration aims to reduce the time and effort required to establish a WMN testbed, thereby benefiting the scientific community at large.