Star network

Ring network

Network topology

Computer security

Telecommunications

Computer science

Visual arts

Distributed computing

Architecture

Computer network

Wireless mesh network

Internet of Things

Mathematics

Mesh networking

Mathematical analysis

Combinatorics

Topology (electrical circuits)

Wireless

Star (game theory)

Wireless network

IEEE Pervasive Computing

LoRa has emerged in recent years as a wireless technology providing long-range communication for low-power Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices. The LoRaWAN architecture adds the medium access control (MAC) and application layers, and defines a star of stars topology suitable for many and diverse IoT applications. However, in a number of scenarios, a more flexible network topology than LoRaWAN’s is needed. We review the state of the art of the design and implementation of multihop and mesh solutions for LoRa and LoRaWAN. We discuss the remaining challenges for multihop and mesh solutions to overcome in order to unlock the opportunities that decentralized, self-organizing, and infrastructure-less LoRa networks can bring to IoT applications.

Beyond the Star of Stars: An Introduction to Multihop and Mesh for LoRa and LoRaWAN