Infrastructure services such as addressing, directory services, performance monitoring, and diagnostic capabilities are shared among nodes of an ad-hoc mesh network without a designated network manager. The meter includes an IrDA port for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data to and from the meter. Transaction identifiers can be used to facilitate communications among the entities. an interface which defines the shortest path between the originating and receiving nodes. The agglomerates are distributed densely around the organic fine particles, and some agglomerates adhere to surfaces of the organic particles andor some silica particles are impregnated in the inside of the organic particles. Each node maintains a queue with a first area reserved for periods of congestion and a second area reserved for periods of no congestion.