[CUWiN] Grand Haven Wireless:

[Sascha Meinrath]

Here's some interesting info on the Grand Haven, MI Wireless Network:

(from http://www.ottawawireless.net/technology/grandhaven-network.html )

--Sascha


The Grand Haven network provides high-speed mobile WiFi Internet access
and VoIP anywhere within public areas of the city. Customers can connect
any PC, MAC or PDA nearly everywhere they go during a typical day using
standard WiFi adaptors. Low cost indoor WiFi repeaters are used extend
Wireless coverage as a "last mile" sevice within any subscribers home or
office.

Technical Highlights:

A single fiber connection has been spread across the entire city via
several hundred WiFi (802.11a, b, g) radios located upon existing city
infrastructure The radio network, which is monitored at every point on a
24x7 basis using custom monitoring tools, achieves exceptional broadband
performance:

    * Top speeds of 5Mbps bidirectional are sustained with an average
downstream data rate of 1.5Mbps. Tens of thousands of clients can be
supported.
    * Latency across the entire wireless network is less 20 ms on average.
    * 99.7% network reliability, even in extreme harsh environments (e.g.
rain, fog, snow, wind, trees)
    * Full seamless mobility (e.g. no DHCP renew) at roaming speeds up to
55mph is achieved via a layer 2 switched network architecture with Virtual
LAN used for segmentation. Handoffs are <100ms.
    * End-to-End quality of service (QoS) will provided via 802.11e in
July.

Internet access is available more than 20 miles into Lake Michigan using a
custom built a ship-to-shore marine WiFi radio. It is believed that Ottawa
Wireless currently offers the largest boater WiFi coverage area in the
world. End-to-end network security is provided via VPNs, WPA, RADIUS,
VLANs and the upcoming 802.11i standard. All services are auto
provisioned, including speed upgrades.  Non-subscriber (e.g. tourists) can
sign up directly on their computer with no human interaction or special
software by connecting their WiFi adaptor to the .ottawa. signal (SSID).
The network can be optionally operated as either a retail or wholesale
network with support multiple service providers.

-- 
Sascha Meinrath
Project Manager & Pres.  *  Project Coordinator  *  Project Manager
Acorn Worker Collective *** CU Wireless Network *** Eggplant Active Media
www.acorncollective.com  *  www.cuwireless.net   *  www.eggplantmedia.com