Lisa Phifer on backhaul network
In wired networks, backhaul usually refers to the links used to carry traffic from ISP Points of Presence to a central location where traffic is routed onto the public Internet or ISP's backbone network. Similarly, in a large distributed wireless network, backhaul often refers to links that carry traffic from each WLAN site to the Internet or a backbone network. For example:
* If you have a single office covered by several APs, concentrated through a switch or gateway, to a single Internet access link, then the Internet access link is probably what people are asking about when they inquire about your backhaul.
* If you have a multi-site WLAN, where each site is covered by several APs, and WAN links are used to interconnect all sites to a each other or to a central location, then the WAN links form your backhaul network.
Your backhaul can be wired or wireless. For example, remote offices might be connected via satellite, DSL, T-1, Wi-Fi bridges, or a WiMAX wireless mesh (to give name just a few). "Backhaul" just describes the function provided by those links: to haul traffic back from distribution networks to some type of core network.
