Mesh Networking
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Contents
Introduction
- Portions of the ISM bands including 2.4GHz and 5GHz, commonly used for Wifi, overlap with ham bands.
- Smart folks have created custom firmware for commercial wifi/wisp hardware that allows them to act as "nodes" in an automatically-configuring fault-tolerant mesh network.
- It started with the then very common Linksys WRT54G routers but has since moved up to some seriously robust outdoor-rated equipment made by Ubiquity.
- You can do anything with it that you could do over an ordinary LAN - as long as you conform to the Ham regs.
- Hams can use
- More power
- Higher gain
- Some frequencies not available to the general public.
See this brochure for a good overview: The AREDN Advantage
Applications and Services
- IP phones http://www.trevorsbench.com/portable-mesh-node-with-voip-and-wifi/
- Video feeds
- Weather spotting
- Text chat http://www.trevorsbench.com/meshchat-messaging-for-mesh-networks/
- File transfer
- Hosting intra-net web sites
- Public event coverage
Capabilities such as these could prove invaluable to emergency services in a situation where, for instance, the internet, cell phones and land lines are not available.
Temporary nodes can easily be deployed to provide a video feeds along a parade or marathon route, for instance.
Initial Objectives
It was proposed that providing IP phone service connecting multiple fire stations would be well-received.
Potential Node Sites
Google map of potential sites and links
Action Items
- 83 Fire Washington Boro
- Rob to talk w/ Camoratta
- WC Tech roof
- KA2PBT Rob / WA2SME John to talk w/ Mr. Metroke
- Stand-alone solar power req'd?
- Can we get a temporary one up somewhere?
- 23 Fire Harmony
- KC2VGY Kyle?
- KC2WCQ Robert Mohr
- KC2SJU Brain Unangst
- 21 Rescue Belvidere
- KC2SJT Michael Unangst
- KC2SJU Brian Unangst
Most wanted list
Hams w/ favorable QTH - need introductions
- NJ
- N2WVW William Kober - Kobers Truck Parts edge of Montana Mountain
- Interesting guy: http://www.arrl.org/soapbox/view/5777
- KC2VGS Charles Nyland - Cemetery Hill Rd. w/ view to South
- N2WVW William Kober - Kobers Truck Parts edge of Montana Mountain
- PA
- Paxinosa Rd. Easton
- KB3MXP Schwartzman, Daniel M - email on QRZ - KD2EVR to contact
- K3HKZ ADAMS, CHARLES F
- N3TAN CIACCIO, RAYMOND V
- W0RSJ Murphy, William T
- W3DKV CARRON JR, LAWRENCE P
- KB2WFR LOKEY, PAUL E
- N3LWY FRANKENFIELD, DAVID J Morgan Hill, Easton
- Paxinosa Rd. Easton
Logistics
Hardware Inventory
Courtesy of KD2EVR
- 4x Nanostation M2 Datasheet
- 5x Nanobridge M2 Datasheet
- 3x AC-input POE Injectors
- 2x DC-input 4-port POE Injectors
- 3x WRT54G Router nodes
- 1x TP-link travel router (access point into mesh)
- 2x Cisco ATA 186-11-A Analog telephone adapters (not known if they will work w/ mesh)
- 1x Raspberry Pi w/ Camera (IP camera setup)
Wish List
- Outdoor shielded CAT5 cable
- Shielded Connectors
- Grounding wire
- Lightening arrestors
- More Nodes
- POE Injectors (with and without AC power supply)
- CAT5 Patch Cords
- Managed and Unmanaged network switches for linking multiple nodes at the same site
- IP Phones
- IP Cameras
- Gel-cells for temporary nodes
- Battery Chargers
- Solar charger controllers
- Site Access!
Background/Reference
LOS Link Checking Tools
Site Requirements
- Strictly line-of-sight
- Even tree leaves can attenuate the signal
- Nodes mount to 1.5" dia vertical pipe
- Outdoor rated, shielded CAT5 cable provides POE power and wired connectivity to site services
- Power is 12-24VDC
- AC input power supply
- Batteries
- Float charged backup
- Solar/Wind/etc.
- Multiple nodes at one site
- Probably need to be on different channels
- Two nodes can be linked directly ethernet port to ethernet port
- More than two need a network switch
- HF/VHF radios on site not likely to be a problem
- scroll down http://www.tim-yvonne.com/ham/mesh/
Hardware Types
- All started with Linksys WRT54G router
- Mostly superseded by Ubiquiti outdoor-rated units
- Dual-chain devices are preferred
- Nanostation - 60 degree beam width
- Nanobridge - narrow beam
- Rocket - up to 120 degree sector antenna or Omni
- Single chain
- Bullet
- Airgrid
- Dual-chain devices are preferred
- Compatibility
- WARNING - Ubiquiti devices with V5.6 or later factory firmware must first be downgraded to V5.5 before flashing mesh firmware
- WARNING - The "M" in the Ubiquity nomenclature is important. For instance, a "Nanostation 2" is an older device and not usable - you want a "Nanostation M2"
- http://broadband-hamnet.com/which-hardware-to-use.html
- http://www.aredn.org/content/supported-platform-matrix
- Your first BBHN node should be a NanoStationM2
Node Software
- Broadband-hammnet (BBHN)
- originally named High Speed Multi-Media (HSMM) http://broadband-hamnet.com/
- Still supports WRT54G router
- Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN) http://aredn.org/
- Spun off from BBHN
- More active development
- More descriptive and "professional" sounding name when approaching agencies
- Dropped support of WRT54G
- HSMM-Pi https://github.com/urlgrey/hsmm-pi
- Install script for Raspberry Pi
- Probably works on other Linux PC's as well
Good news as that all current versions still interoperate so far.