[Commotion-discuss] Commotion-discuss Digest, Vol 32, Issue 1

Tue Jun 2 18:28:31 EDT 2015

WOW!
Andy, this is fantastic information, thanks!

I'm hoping more people have thoughts, comments, advice, etc.

On Mon, Jun 1, 2015 at 12:00 PM, <
commotion-discuss-request at lists.chambana.net> wrote:

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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Re: Router brand/model suggestions? (Andy Gunn)
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Andy Gunn <andygunn at opentechinstitute.org>
> To: Jared Hoy <n.tesla3 at gmail.com>
> Cc: commotion-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> Date: Mon, 01 Jun 2015 10:44:43 -0400
> Subject: Re: [Commotion-discuss] Router brand/model suggestions?
> Great, more thoughts on this below.
>
> On 05/30/2015 09:55 PM, Jared Hoy wrote:
> > Thanks for the reply Andy. Good questions!
> >
> > The intent was an outdoor network with point to point and omni
> > directional or multi directional down tilt antennas. Though I
> > suppose indoor expandability would be a future consideration. So
> > the focus would be outdoor at this time, with indoor later on.
>
> Great - there are lots of options for equipment with that. Generally,
> for outdoor service you want more centrally located omnidirectional
> equipment, but you can also use wall-mounted omni or directional
> access points for coverage.
>
> > I would like to have the option of buying antennas or experimenting
> > with my own. For point to point it seems easier, cheaper, and
> > better to just purchase a small dish. I would like to use an omni
> > or patch on one connector with a dish on the other (any thoughts?)
>
> Building antennas can be a lot of fun, but can also be pretty fiddly -
> there are lots of resources, especially from amateur (Ham) radio
> operators. Search for resources on biquad and amos/quados antennas,
> such as:
> http://www.qsl.net/yu1aw/ANT_VHF/Amos_Ant/amos_antennas.htm
>
> http://www.scribd.com/doc/121631287/AMOS-Antenna-With-Semicircular-Radiation-Diagram-For-2-4-GHz
>
> I also wrote a blog post about AlterMundi's work using 2x2 MIMO
> equipment to provide a directional signal, coupled with an omni signal
> out of a single router:
>
> https://commotionwireless.net/blog/2014/11/05/do-it-yourself-antennas-for-community-networks/
> There original documentation is here, and is great:
> http://docs.altermundi.net/RedesMiniMaxi/MontajeDeUnNodo
>
> > The initial intent of the network will be multipurpose, but my
> > thoughts are this:
> >
> > * redundant point to point connection between campus locations.
> >
> > * Wireless community backup communications network for emergency
> > situations, community based information for a decentralized
> > internet style network. Similar to the Red Hook project and
> > others.
> >
> > * Other than that, it would serve as an experimental platform for
> > leaning and local communication for those who are in range and
> > wish to cooperate.
>
> Sounds good - wireless is a great platform for those things. Think
> about how / where you can provide wired connections as well - either
> Ethernet or fiber - the performance and reliability can't be beat!
>
> > I understand the basic limitations of wireless communications such
> > as channel capacity and interference, but I would really like to
> > see this system implemented on a large scale.   If only we had
> > larger frequency bands to work with. I would really like to see a
> > community supported mesh with backhauls which approach the scale of
> > the cellular network. Maybe that's going way to far, but that's my
> > dream! I really like the idea of the ubiquiti air fiber for long
> > distance backhauls. Gotta start somewhere.
>
> I highly recommend using 5GHz for backhaul and point-to-point in this
> day and age - 2.4GHz is pretty crowded. It can be used for small mesh
> networks and Access Points, but you can definitely take 5GHz backhauls
> to a large scale - the very big Wireless Internet Service Providers
> (WISPs) use it pretty extensively.
>
> Point-to-point links provide great performance, and can bridge
> different types of networks at each end (point-to-multipoint or mesh).
> For this, I would look at something like the Ubiquiti NanoBeam series:
> https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/nanobeam-ac/
> The lower-gain (shorter range) models are fairly affordable:
> http://streakwave.com/Itemdesc.asp?ic=NBE-M5-16-US&o1=0
>
> For Do-It-Yourself point-to-point links, the AlterMundi method works,
> and you could use two dishes to provide the full MIMO capacity through
> (just orient the antennas in front of the dishes at 90 degrees from
> each other - i.e. one vertically polarized and the other horizontally
> polarized). The TP-Link routers work well for this - the WDR3600 would
> be my first choice, as it is fairly affordable ($50 or so). You can
> also re-flash the firmware to use just about anything else - Commotion
> / LibreMesh / qMp or whatever else for meshing.
>
> For omni-directional mesh routers, I recommend the Rocket M2 or M5
> (depending on which band you want to use), or TP-Link WDR3600 (or
> WDR4300) routers. For the TP-Links, you will need to find an outdoor
> enclosure to weatherproof them. The antenna you use can be anything
> you want - the high-performance Ubiquiti AirMax omnis:
> https://www.ubnt.com/airmax/airmax-omni-antenna/
> More reasonably priced but shorter range omnis:
> http://streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=OARDSBX244&eq=&Tp=&o1=0
> http://streakwave.com/itemdesc.asp?ic=OARDSBX55&eq=&Tp=&o1=0
> (Note, with these you don't gain the benefits of dual-polarity, but
> there will still be a 2x2 MIMO signal)
>
> Streakwave and other distributors have just about every type of
> antenna you could dream of, but you can also play with making your own!
>
> For directional mesh routers, you can't beat the Ubiquiti NanoStation
> M2 or M5, or the TP-Link routers with custom antennas.
>
> > Thanks, Jared
>
> Sure thing - I recommend going through some of our group activities
> that are focused on wireless planning as well, to think and work out
> router type and placement:
>
> https://commotionwireless.net/docs/cck/planning/design-your-network-every-network-tells-story/
> https://commotionwireless.net/docs/cck/networking/wireless-challenges/
>
> https://commotionwireless.net/docs/cck/networking/types-of-wireless-networks/
> https://commotionwireless.net/docs/cck/networking/guidelines-for-mesh/
>
> Good luck!
> -A
>
>
> > On Wed, May 27, 2015 at 11:39 AM, Andy Gunn
> > <andygunn at opentechinstitute.org
> > <mailto:andygunn at opentechinstitute.org>> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Jared - I'm hoping a lot of people chime in on this one, as
> > there are lots of possibilities!
> >
> > Are you planning an indoor network, an outdoor
> > (building-to-building) network, or both?
> >
> > Are you planning on building your own antennas, or purchasing
> > pre-made antennas?
> >
> > What will the network be used for?
> >
> >
> >
> > On 05/26/2015 11:19 PM, Jared Hoy wrote:
> >> I've been interested in Commotion and meshing for a while, but
> >> until now haven't really had time to pursue it. Recently I've
> >> been discussing it with fellow students and teachers at my school
> >> and it seems many are interested in putting up some nodes. Also
> >> sounds like my school may be interested in hosting some nodes on
> >> top of the campuses as well.
> >
> >> I told them I'd like to get 3 or 4 routers on my own so we can
> >> experiment before promoting it formally. That being the case, I
> >> need to determine the best brand and model. I see Ubiquity,
> >> Mikrotik, and TP-Link brands listed on commotion along with the
> >> many models. I was leaning toward the Ubiquiti Rocket M2 as it
> >> seems to be quite reliable and I like having the two external
> >> coax connections.
> >
> >> Is the Rocket my best option at this time? I'd like something
> >> that offers reliability and has external antenna connections
> >> (hopefully more than one) while still being relatively
> >> inexpensive. I'd rather spend a little more to get something that
> >> offers expandability in the future though.
> >
> >> Most people don't want to contribute unless they see what it
> >> offers and how it works, so I figure I'll purchase the first
> >> batch to kick things off.
> >
> >> Any suggestions? Any thoughts on the other brands and models?
> >
> >> Thanks, Jared
> >
> >
> >
>
> --
> Andy Gunn, Field Engineer
> Open Technology Institute, New America
> andygunn at opentechinstitute.org | 202-596-3484
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