A communication method, comprising: determining, by a first node in a first layer, whether a failure has occurred in a sink node in a second layer subordinate to the first layer, wherein the first node serves as a sink node in the first layer to directly perform wireless communication with second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) in the second layer; requesting, by the first node, the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) to collect information of third nodes (100F, 100G, 100H, 1001) in a third layer subordinate to the second layer when the first node has determined that a failure has occurred in the sink node in the second layer; and wherein the method further comprises determining, by the first node, a fourth node from among the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) to serve as a substitute for the failed sink node based on the information of the third nodes (100F, 100G, 100H, 1001) collected by the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) characterized in that the fourth node is determined according to either a first condition or a second condition, wherein the first condition is that the fourth node is capable of communicating with a sink node in the third layer and that quality of communication between the fourth node and the sink node in the third layer is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and wherein the second condition is that there exists no node among the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) capable of communicating with the sink node in the third layer and that the fourth node is the node among the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) capable of communicating with the greatest number of third nodes (100F, 100G, 100I) in the third layer and of which quality of communications with the third nodes (100F, 100G, 1001) in the third layer is equal to or greater than a threshold value. determining, by a first node in a first layer, whether a failure has occurred in a sink node in a second layer subordinate to the first layer, wherein the first node serves as a sink node in the first layer to directly perform wireless communication with second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) in the second layer; requesting, by the first node, the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) to collect information of third nodes (100F, 100G, 100H, 1001) in a third layer subordinate to the second layer when the first node has determined that a failure has occurred in the sink node in the second layer; and wherein the method further comprises determining, by the first node, a fourth node from among the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) to serve as a substitute for the failed sink node based on the information of the third nodes (100F, 100G, 100H, 1001) collected by the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) characterized in that the fourth node is determined according to either a first condition or a second condition, wherein the first condition is that the fourth node is capable of communicating with a sink node in the third layer and that quality of communication between the fourth node and the sink node in the third layer is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and wherein the second condition is that there exists no node among the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) capable of communicating with the sink node in the third layer and that the fourth node is the node among the second nodes (100B, 100D, 100E) capable of communicating with the greatest number of third nodes (100F, 100G, 100I) in the third layer and of which quality of communications with the third nodes (100F, 100G, 1001) in the third layer is equal to or greater than a threshold value.