Simulated Annealing Approach for Mesh Router Placement in Rural Wireless Mesh Networks

A critical issue in the planning of Wireless Mesh Networks is the determination of the optimal number and location of mesh router nodes. In this paper, we consider a network model in which the area to cover is decomposed into a set of elementary areas which may be covered; where a node may be placed; and which may be an obstacle for the connectivity. The aim is therefore to determine an optimal number and the positions of mesh router nodes which maximize the coverage of areas of interest, minimize the number of routers while ensuring the connectivity of the network. To achieve this, an approach based on Simulated Annealing algorithm is proposed. It is evaluated on different region instances. It provides area of interest coverage around 98 % with an optimal number of routers 1.3 times the minimum number of router corresponding to the ratio between the area to cover and the area covered by a router.