Hop-aware multicast in a mesh network

A first mesh network device of a mesh network, the first mesh network device comprising:

• a first radio;
• and
• an application processor coupled to the first radio, wherein the application processor comprises a hop-aware multicast engine, wherein the hop-aware multicast engine:
• determines a first hop-limit value for a first request for a service or a resource to be sent via the first radio, wherein the first hop-limit value is a mesh header time to live (TTL) value in a data link layer that is associated with an internet protocol (IP) header TTL value in an IP layer, the mesh TTL value being a minimum of the IP header TTL value or a maximal TTL value permitted in a communication protocol used by the first mesh network device;
• sends, via the first radio, the first request to a first set of mesh network devices in the mesh network, wherein the first set of mesh network devices are identified by the first hop-limit value;
• determines that a response to the first request was not received within a first time period;
• determines a second hop-limit value for the first request, wherein the second hop-limit value is different than the first hop-limit value;
• and
• resends, via the first radio, the first request to a second set of mesh network devices in the mesh network, wherein the second set of mesh network devices are identified by the second hop-limit value.

A method comprising:

• determining, by a processing device of a first mesh network device, a first hop-limit value for a first request for a service or a resource to be sent via a radio of the first mesh network device, wherein the first hop-limit value is a mesh header time to live (TTL) value in a data link layer that is associated with an internet protocol (IP) header TTL value in an IP layer, the mesh TTL value being a minimum of the IP header TTL value or a maximal TTL value permitted in a communication protocol used by the first mesh network device;
• sending, via the radio, the first request to one or more mesh network devices in a mesh network, wherein the one or more mesh network devices are defined by the first hop-limit value;
• determining that a response to the first request was not received within a first time period;
• determining a second hop-limit value for the first request, wherein the second hop-limit value is different than the first hop-limit value;
• and
• in response to determining that the response was not received within the first time period, resending, by the processing device, via the radio, the first request to one or more additional mesh network devices defined by the second hop-limit value.