Mesh Networking

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/
• IP Camera Video feeds
  • Weather/Smoke spotting
• Text chat http://www.trevorsbench.com/meshchat-messaging-for-mesh-networks/
• File transfer
• Hosting intra-net web sites
• Public event coverage
  • http://orange-arrl.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/The-Orange-Report-June-2015-V4.pdf (starts on page 15)
• Field-deployable nodes
  • http://www.trevorsbench.com/portable-mesh-node-with-voip-and-wifi/
  • Temporary nodes can easily be deployed to provide a video feeds along a parade or marathon route, for instance.

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.

Initial Objectives

It was proposed that providing IP phone service connecting multiple fire stations would be well-received.

Node Sites

Google map of potential sites and links

Warren County view of official AREDN live map

Current Sites

• 83 Fire Washington Boro Complete 12/10/2016
• WC Tech roof
  • Nanostations facing East & West
• KD2EVR QTH (Washington Boro)
• K2FN QTH ?

Prospective Sites

• 76 Fire Washington Twp.
  • Pleasant Valley Rd.
  • Washburn Ave
• Montana Moutain Tower
  • Omni antenna w/ Rocket radio
• 23 Fire Harmony
  • KC2VGY Kyle?
  • KC2WCQ Robert Mohr
  • KC2SJU Brain Unangst
• 21 Rescue Belvidere
  • KC2SJT Michael Unangst
  • KC2SJU Brian Unangst
• Lopatcong FD #2

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
• PA
  • Paxinosa Rd. Easton
    • KB3MXP Schwartzman, Daniel M - email on QRZ
    • 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

Logistics

Wish List

• More Nodes
• Grounding wire
• Lightening arrestors
  • ETH-SPhttps://amzn.com/B00R20OIAY
• POE Injectors (with and without AC power supply)
  • https://amzn.com/B00SU9DNDY
  • https://amzn.com/B00NTTHLRO
  • https://amzn.com/B00HXT8LPW
• CAT5 Patch Cords
• Managed and Unmanaged network switches for linking multiple nodes at the same site
• IP Phones
  • https://amzn.com/dp/B015YNST1O
  • https://amzn.com/B00KNU2TRE
• IP Cameras
  • https://amzn.com/B01HTYW2Q4
• Gel-cells for temporary nodes
• Battery Chargers
  • https://amzn.com/B0051D3MP6
• Solar charger controllers
• Site Access!

Background/Reference

LOS Link Checking Tools

• https://airlink.ubnt.com/
• http://www.heywhatsthat.com/

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
    • http://tim-yvonne.com/ham/mesh/array/index.htm
  • Two nodes can be linked directly ethernet port to ethernet port
  • More than two need a network switch
    • http://www.aredn.org/content/device-device-linking-dtdlink
    • https://www.scc-ares-races.org/mesh/doc/D2D_Linking_BBHN_Ubiquiti_v150504.pdf
• 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
• 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.arednmesh.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) https://arednmesh.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.