Mesh Networking

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Revision as of 14:42, 18 October 2016 by KD2EVR (talk | contribs) (Hardware Types)
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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

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

AREDN live map

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
  • 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

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

Background/Reference

Site Requirements

Hardware Types

Node Software

  • Broadband-hammnet (BBHN)
  • 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.