Frequently Asked Questions

Meshmerize is an industry-grade mesh network software that supercharges off-the-shelf WiFi hardware to deploy an ultra reliable mesh network, ensuring highly reliable, resilient, and low-latency connectivity specifically designed for moving machines. Check out the Meshmerize software features.

Meshmerize is specifically designed for industrial machine-to-machine communication. It was created to enable high reliability, low latency connectivity to all and any moving robots or machines. So far, Meshmerize has proven itself in intralogistics, agriculture, drone swarms, construction and other use cases.

What sets Meshmerize apart from other mesh network protocols is its design tailored for dynamic environments. At the heart of Meshmerize lies its multipath routing protocol, which guarantees low latency and high reliability. This makes it ideal for moving machines, ensuring seamless roaming. Not only does the multipath routing remove the risk of a single point of failure, it also makes the network highly resilient and able to heal itself if a node is removed or added. Additionally, Meshmerize is hardware-independent, ensuring compatibility with a wide array of commercial WiFi devices. Additionally, it can be seamlessly integrated into existing network setups.

Meshmerize is hardware independent. It’s a completely software-based networking stack, designed for easy integration into a broad range of commercial off-the-shelf WiFi devices. For more information on devices that Meshmerize is integrated with, please check out our Wiki.

Enterprise WiFi, although suitable for activities like web browsing and video calls, struggles to maintain reliability and efficiency in the fluctuating conditions of industrial environments. On the other hand, while 5G networks offer high speeds and low latency, they come with substantial costs and challenges, especially in indoor settings, making them less accessible for many businesses.

In contrast, Meshmerize offers a cost-effective and resilient alternative by transforming multiple unstable WiFi links into a robust and reliable network, specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of industrial applications, without hardware dependency.

Meshmerize is a mesh network protocol designed for environments where change is constant. Unlike traditional mesh network protocols such as 802.11s and B.A.T.M.A.N, which excel in more static environments, Meshmerize offers a distinct advantage. It shines particularly in scenarios requiring high mobility and flexibility. It updates its routing tables within milliseconds, which allows it to quickly adapt to any changes in the network.

While 802.11s and B.A.T.M.A.N are like steady trains running on pre-laid tracks, Meshmerize is the agile car that can zip through traffic and find new paths instantly. It keeps multiple connections open for mobile devices, ensuring seamless roaming with near-zero handover time. This is particularly useful in avoiding radio shadows. Moreover, Meshmerize is built with scalability in mind, performing efficiently in dense and fast-moving networks. 

Basically, Meshmerize can make the devices behave as if they were connected to each other by cables. Meshmerize enhances network functionality by offering features like message prioritization and firewalling. This adds layers of smartness to its overall performance. However, it’s the plug and play aspect of its connectivity that truly sets Meshmerize apart, making it akin to a Layer 2 network switch.

Meshmerize ensures reliable device connectivity even without an infrastructure-based network like 4G/5G/WiFi. It enables ad-hoc connections, allowing devices to communicate directly and efficiently with one another.

The multipath routing protocol enhances network reliability by sending packets along multiple paths simultaneously, ensuring delivery even if one path fails. It also optimizes network efficiency by smartly balancing throughput and reliability, and prioritizing features based on data packet characteristics, resulting in improved performance in dynamic environments.

Meshmerize mesh networks are managed and optimized with Hive, an all-in-one web-based tool. Hive offers a clear visual of node layouts, enables users to manage devices in bulk, and add or remove nodes from the network with ease. Hive’s troubleshooting proactively detects and addresses issues. Users receive alerts for network changes, and the system’s API integration allows for enhanced data use. (Features limited to specific license tiers.)

Meshmerize operates comparable to a Layer 2 network switch as a low level network service and supports all kinds of network protocols, such as TCP, UDP, etc. It also supports non-IP traffic such as CANBUS, Profinet etc. Please contact [email protected] for any specific traffic requirements.

Hive is a web-based tool created for managing Meshmerize networks.  With Hive, you can add new devices and check device connection status, as well as manage user access and rights. Additionally, it allows you to view the network graph and connection quality, adjust device settings, and run commands on single or multiple devices, with features varying based on specific license tiers.

Note: Some features are tied to specific license levels, and these levels and feature associations are subject to change.

For information about Hive deployments, please refer to Hive – User Guide.

To deploy a Meshmerize network, acquire Meshmerize compatible access points. Depending on the device, the default firmware can be used or the Meshmerize OS firmware should be installed. To activate Meshmerize on the WiFi devices, sign up and acquire licenses through our Licensing Portal.

Meshmerize offers free 2-week trial licenses. To learn more about the trial licenses, reach out to us.

There are three license types available: Pro, Enterprise and Lifetime. To learn more, please check our Getting Meshmerize page.

Meshmerize is a self-configuring network that will be operational out-of-the box when the devices are fully booted. Customizing the Mesh with general purpose network configuration is easily possible through Hive’s centralized network configuration management.

A Meshmerize deployment can be flexibly scaled, accommodating up to 200+ nodes. This makes it a versatile solution for networks of various sizes. However, the actual limitations on scale with Meshmerize will vary and are dependent on specific use case factors. These factors include traffic volume and node density.

Meshmerize already comes pre-installed on a number of devices. Additionally, Meshmerize provides a MeshmerizeOS software image to manually install Meshmerize to a device. Once Meshmerize has been installed it can be individually configured through the Web UI on each device or through Hive. Check the Meshmerize Quick Start Guide.

Selecting the right number of APs for a deployment is tailored to specific needs and influenced by various factors. Reach out to us for guidance in making the best decision on APs.

Meshmerize releases four major updates per year. Meshmerize updates are available either through updated vendor firmwares of the respective devices, or Meshmerize OS updates available on our Wiki.

For assistance with your Meshmerize deployment, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.