George raises valid points, although his "won't work" title is rather harsh! My(ahem- extensive!)2.4GHz wireless experiences certainly confirm desk level mesh nodes will have very limited ranges,no doubt further crippled by kids working sprawled out on the floor! A OLPC news picture some months back showed a OLPC/XO wastefully ceiling mounted to ensure good mesh coverage in fact... YIKES!
Although "smart",the OLPC IEEE802.11n is still subject to wireless limits -almost ANYTHING in the propagation path of microwaves blocks such signals!Inbuilt WiFi adapters are especially hindered by PC metal work,office partitions,solid walls & even the "water filled" user themselves. LOS (line of sight) links of 100s of metres may drop to just 10s of m when a user moves behind a tree or building.
Raising the antenna even to window height typically gives ENORMOUS improvements,& to avoid having to work standing up this most readily can be down using USB WiFi adapters. Given the OLPC target market I'm hence of the opinion that the preferred mesh technique should be USB based,as it further allows unskilled user "signal sweet spot" positioning of the adapter via dirt cheap lossless USB cables & extenders. Range boosting DIY antenna can be rustled up as well - see the celebrated "WokFi" site => www.usbwifi.orcon.net.nz,which has empowered numerous "poor men" since it's 2004 roll out.
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