This software provides a distance-vector routing protocol that can be used with both IPv6 and IPv4. It is designed with fast convergence properties to ensure efficient routing.
Babel's performance on wireless mesh networks is particularly impressive given its robustness and efficiency in its default operation. Its link quality measurement is specifically designed for networks using the IEEE 802.11 MAC, though the paths chosen are reasonable for other types of networks as well. Additionally, Babel avoids route flapping, which is when routers frequently switch between two routes of similar quality, through the use of several techniques. This is in contrast to OLSR, which cannot rely on history-dependent route selection due to being a link-state protocol.
Notably, Babel is also efficient when operating on wired networks. In this setting, Babel uses a larger interval between hellos, performs split-horizon processing, and disables link quality estimation. Overall, I would highly recommend Babel as a versatile and efficient routing protocol option for both wired and wireless mesh networks.
Version 0.95: N/A