Wireless mesh access node neighboring channel quality estimation

A wireless mesh network comprising:

• a gateway;
• a plurality of wireless access nodes, wherein each of the plurality of access nodes is operative to wirelessly communicate with one or more upstream access nodes or the gateway through one or more of a plurality of wireless channels, and wherein each access node is operative to:
• estimate an adjacent one of the plurality of wireless channels while the access node is communicating over a present one of the plurality of wireless channels, comprising the controller being operative to;
• determine a difference between a measured signal quality of a signal communicated over the present wireless channel and a measured signal quality of a signal communicated over the adjacent channel;
• estimate a difference between a packet success rate of the present channel and a packet success rate of the adjacent channel based on the determined difference;
• and
• estimate a packet success rate of the adjacent channel based on a packet success rate of the present channel and the estimated difference between the packet success rate of the present channel and the packet success rate of the adjacent channel.

A method of an access node estimating an adjacent one of the plurality of wireless channels while the access node is communicating over a present one of the plurality of wireless channels, comprising:

• determining a difference between a measured signal quality of a signal communicated over the present wireless channel and a measured signal quality of a signal communicated over the adjacent channel;
• estimating a difference between a packet success rate of the present channel and a packet success rate of the adjacent channel based on the determined difference;
• and
• estimating a packet success rate of the adjacent channel based on a packet success rate of the present channel and the estimated difference between the packet success rate of the present channel and the packet success rate of the adjacent channel.