HotView Pro Network Management Workstation Enterprise Network Backbone

Transcription

1 HotView TM HotViewPro Reference Guide IV for Firetide Wireless Mesh Systems Volume 1: Wireless Mesh Basics HotView Pro Network Management Workstation Enterprise Network Backbone Applicable to HotView and HotView Pro versions and previous. The contents of this Reference Guide are subject to change without notice. Please refer to the Firetide web site, for current versions. Firetide, the Firetide logo, HotView, Wireless Instant Networks, and Reliable Connectivity Anywhere are trademarks of Firetide, Inc Firetide, Inc. All rights reserved. Reference Guide Revision Volume Revision

2 How This Reference Guide is Organized Scope of this Reference Guide This multi-volume reference guide has been designed to cover all 3.x versions of HotView and HotView Pro, as well as 4.x versions of HotView and HotView Pro. It is also applicable to all Series 3000 nodes, Series 6000 nodes, Series 4000 access points, Series 2000 CPE, and the Firetide Controllers. Feature sets vary. Older versions do not have all of the features described in this manual, but in general the features they do have work as described herein. There may be minor differences. Screen shots vary slightly among different versions of HotView. In general these differences are not significant to mesh operation. Where a feature is specific to certain classes of hardware, this is also called out (e.g. Auto Channel Assignment for Series 6000 only). Last but not least, certain functions are specific to HotView Pro only. These are also identified as such. This manual is organized into Volumes, Sections, and Chapters. The Volumes are: Volume One: Wireless Mesh Basics Volume Two: Advanced Applications for Wireless Mesh Volume Three: Access Points & ISP Platforms Volume Four: Mobility Controllers Volume Five: Reference Materials Wireless Mesh Basics describes the theory of wireless mesh operation, and explains the Firetide architecture. It explains how to plan deployments and how to assess RF conditions before deployment. This volume should be read and understood by planners, installers, system architects, and operators. It also describes the use of HotView Pro in managing a basic Firetide Mesh. This volume explains the many advanced capabilities in the Firetide mesh architecture, and shows how and where to use them. This volume explains the features and uses of Firetide s unique, enterprise-class WiFi access point product. Firetide s access point products can be used alone or in combination with other Firetide products; both applications are covered. It also explains how the HotClient family can be used to deliver DSL-equivalent Internet access to residential and small-business subscribers. Mobility is the short-hand expression for Firetide s system for providing uninterrupted connectivity to all types of mobile users, including police and fire vehicles and well as commuter trains and busses and individual mobile users. This volume contains numerous appendices with useful reference information. Within each Volume are Sections on the features and capabilities of the Firetide Mesh architecture, and chapters that describe specific operating techniques. Document Revisions The HotView Pro Reference Guide is updated frequently as new features are added. The multivolume document as a whole has a three-digit revision number: A.B.C. The individual volumes have a four-digit revision number: A.B.C.D, where A.B.C is the same as the parent revision. Whenever any volume is revised, digit D is incremented for that volume, and digit C is incremented for all volumes. Volume 1 Page 2 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

3 Super Quick Start Guide Firetide has spared no effort or expense in attempting to make this reference as useful as possible, and we encourage you to read it. However, if it s critical that you get a mesh up and running quickly, here s what to do: Unbox all of your HotPort nodes and set them on a table. Plug them all in to AC power. Insert the HotView Pro CD into a Windows XP PC. HotView Pro works with Apple s MacBook Pro, using either Parallels Desktop, VMWare Fusion, or Apple s BootCamp, and XP. Click the Install icon, and follow the on-screen steps. Accept all defaults. When you get to the screen where you select which of three versions of HotView to install, select the first one, HotView Finish the installation. Open your Network Configuration control panel, and set your PC to have a fixed IP address on the x/24 subnet. Do not use ; that is the default address of the HotPort mesh. Connect your PC to one of the HotPort nodes. Launch HotView. There is a shortcut for it on your desktop. 8. Log into the mesh, using the password firetide. 9. Your screen should look something like this. If it doesn t, refer to the Troubleshooting section of this manual. There should be an icon on the screen for each node that you have set up. If not, consult Section IV, Troubleshooting, in this manual. If the nodes are brand-new, you will see a Set Country Code dialog. Confirm that all nodes are visible before setting the country code. Right-click in the background area of the screen and select Configure Mesh. Set the channel and other parameters as needed for your application. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 3

4 Short Table of Contents Section I Understanding and Deploying Wireless Meshes Chapter 1 Firetide Mesh Networking Technology... 6 Chapter 2 Planning Your Wireless Mesh Deployment Chapter 3 Planning Your Radio Environment Chapter 4 Site Survey Chapter 5 IP Addressing in Firetide Mesh Networks...38 Chapter 6 Planning Your HotView Pro Installation Chapter 7 Initial Software Setup Chapter 8 Initial Mesh Setup Section II HotPort Mesh Node Command Reference Chapter 9 Getting Familiar with HotView Pro...62 Chapter 10 Mesh and Node Menu Commands Chapter 11 Mesh and Node Right-Click Commands Chapter 12 Mesh Configuration Command Reference...84 Chapter 13 Command Reference - Server Configuration Chapter 14 LPOD Integrated Camera Node Volume 1 Page 4 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

5 Section I Understanding and Deploying Wireless Meshes The chapters in the section explain the range of Firetide Wireless Mesh product and how they can be used to provide network access in all types of location, both indoor and out. Chapter 1 describes the capabilities of Firetide equipment. Chapter 2 explains the principles of wireless mesh technology, and will help you understand how to plan and deploy your network for best results. It also describes the advanced features of Firetide s mesh technology, useful for complex collections of multiple meshes. This includes many of the features which distinguish Firetide from other wireless products. Chapter 3 explains how to plan your RF network. If the RF is right, the mesh will work well. Chapter 4 describes the basics of the Site Survey process, why you should have a site survey performed, and how to do a simple site survey. Chapter 5 explains IP addressing in the Firetide system. Firetide meshes are layer-2 devices, and are fully IP transparent. But like any intelligent manageable network product, Firetide meshes do have IP addresses for management purposes. Chapter 6 covers the HotView Pro Client and Server software system itself. This product is an enterprise-class management platform, intended to be installed on a server system. This chapter explains the things you should know to select and install the platform for best results. Chapter 7 describes the process of setting up the HotView software system. Chapter 8 gives an overview of basic mesh setup. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 5

6 Chapter 1 Firetide Mesh Networking Technology Overview of Mesh Networks Fundamentally, a Firetide mesh network give you the convenience of a wired-ethernet switch combined with the deployment flexibility of wireless technology. A simple mesh network can be set up in minutes, with little more effort than it takes to deploy an Ethernet switch. At the same time, Firetide offers advanced features to enhance security, quality of service, and manageability. This design makes the mesh ideal for any location where network cabling is too difficult or expensive to install. A mesh network may be used as a primary network or as an extension to an existing wired network. Even in locations where wiring may be abundant, wireless technologies offer a way to extend network coverage and offer additional flexibility. Firetide Wireless Applications Firetide Products HotPort networks operate indoors and out, in the 2.4, 4.9 (public safety), and 5 GHz bands. With its self-healing capabilities and traffic-prioritization options, a HotPort mesh network readily satisfies the demands of high-bandwidth/low-latency applications, such as video, voice, and data. In addition, Firetide meshes support mobile nodes and roaming. With this capability, nodes in a Firetide mesh can move rapidly from zone to zone. APs and wireless clients can roam as well. Firetide s wireless technology can be used for many applications, including: Video Surveillance, using IP-connected digital cameras. General Ethernet data connectivity, for temporary or permanent LAN deployments. This technology is useful for extending Ethernet access to all of a campus or enterprise site, in support of VoIP or other wireless connectivity applications, for POS applications, and for Ethernet access in warehouses, factory floors, and other difficult-to-wire locations. Backhaul for Access Point deployments, either with Firetide s HotPoint Access Point nodes or with third-party APs. This is useful for wireless deployment in hotels and conference centers as well and enterprises and campuses. Mobile mesh support, to deliver data connectivity and a/b/g service to vehicles of all types, including police, fire, and other emergency vehicle applications. Firetide offers a range of wireless products designed to meet the needs of each of these applications. Firetide s systems offers some important advantages. First, each piece of Firetide equipment is designed to operate seamlessly with other Firetide equipment, and to be managed with a unified software management tool, Firetide s HotView Pro. Second, each piece of Firetide equipment is also designed to operate seamlessly with other networking equipment. Firetide is fully compliant with all applicable standards. Unlike some radio systems, Firetide equipment behaves just like conventional wired Ethernet equipment. There are no special network deployment restrictions. The Firetide family of wireless networking components consists of five families of products: Firetide HotPort Mesh Nodes, the 6000 family, available with dual radios. The Firetide LPOD, which integrates a video surveillance camera and Firetide 6102 node into a weatherproof housing. Firetide HotPoint Access Points, or APs, the 4000 family. Firetide HotClient Wireless Internet Service Provision nodes, the 2000 family. The Firetide Mobility Controller. The Firetide WLAN Controller. In addition, there is a legacy (non-current) range of products which are supported within the Firetide family of devices: The 3000 family HotPort Mesh Nodes; all with single radios. HotPort nodes, HotPoint APs, and HotClient CPEs are available in indoor and outdoor models. Firetide also offers its HotView Network Management System for simple meshes. For most applications, Firetide recommends its HotView Pro multi-mesh Network Management System (NMS). Volume 1 Page 6 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

7 Firetide HotPort Mesh Nodes The HotPort mesh nodes are the heart of the Firetide system. A collection of nodes, called a mesh, forms an Ethernet switch that operates via radio. It is application and protocol-independent, and can do virtually anything a wired Ethernet switch can do HotPort 6100 Series indoor wireless mesh nodes are available with dual radios, and are capable of simultaneous receive and transmit, that is, full-duplex operation. HotPort 6200 Series outdoor wireless mesh nodes offer all the features of the indoor nodes in a rugged, weatherproof enclosure. The HotPort 6200 Series supports PoE as power-sourcing equipment, that is, it can power other Ethernet devices. Dual Radio Advantages HotPort Series 6000 nodes offer dual independent radios. Each radio is capable of independent operation from the other radio, and one radio can be transmitting while the other radio is receiving. Firetide s bonded mode uses two channels across the mesh, with one radio on each channel. Firetide s channel assignment modes lets you use three or more channels across the mesh. In some applications, this gives greater throughput. Table 1. Summary of Firetide Mesh Nodes Dual-radio operation supports the Firetide Mobility Mesh capability as well. Current and non-current Firetide Mesh nodes are summarized in Table 1. Model Use Band RF Output Power Typ Data Rate Current Models 6101 Indoor Mesh Node 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 35 Mbps 6102 Indoor Mesh Node 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 35/70 Mbps 6201 Outdoor Mesh Node 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 35 Mbps 6202 Outdoor Mesh Node 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 35/70 Mbps LPOD Outdoor camera/node 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 35/70 Mbps Non-Current Models 3101 Indoor 2.4, 5 GHz standard 10 Mbps 3103 Indoor 2.4, 5 GHz standard 25 Mbps 3100/PS Indoor, Public Safety 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz standard 25 Mbps Indoor 2.4 GHz high 10 Mbps Indoor 5 GHz high 10 Mbps Indoor 2.4 GHz high 25 Mbps Indoor 5 GHz high 25 Mbps 3203 Outdoor 2.4, 5 GHz standard 25 Mbps 3200PS Outdoor, Public Safety 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz standard 25 Mbps Outdoor 2.4 GHz high 25 Mbps Outdoor 5 GHz high 25 Mbps HotPort Series 6000 nodes will interoperate with HotPort Series 3000 nodes, but the combined mesh offers only the feature set common to both mesh node types. HotPort Series 6000 meshes can be used to full capability along with HotPort Series 3000 nodes via the use of Mesh Bridging. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 7

8 Firetide HotPoint Access Points Firetide HotPoint APs provide an enterprise-class wireless access solution and can be used as fullfunction standalone access points, or as part of an integrated wireless mesh network. Available in indoor and outdoor models, they include a high power, extended-range radio, multiple antenna options, robust security features, and multiple SSID support. Firetide s modular AP design offers several benefits. Among them are: A HotPoint can be connected to a mesh node to provide Wi-Fi access to any location, without the need for backhaul cabling. A HotPoint can connect directly to a conventional wired infrastructure. Because the access points and mesh nodes are kept in separate enclosures, they can be independently positioned for optimum RF connectivity. A HotPoint can share a Firetide mesh node with other devices. Multiple HotPoints can be connected to one Firetide mesh node. In addition, Firetide s HotPoint AP offers these advantages: Browser re-direction; allowing linkage to a login page. Walled-garden capability. Denial-of-Service (DoS) attack protection. User statistics on each user connected to the HotPoint. Overall throughput statistics are collected. End-to-end performance test capability built in. Virtualization Firetide HotPoint APs have a unique feature: they are fully virtualized. Each hardware platform can support up to 16 virtual machines, that is, virtual APs. Each virtual AP, or VAP, is on its own VLAN. Table 2. Summary of Firetide Access Point Products Virtualized APs are a powerful tool for deploying different classes of client support (such as employee and guest) across an enterprise. Model # of VAPs Use Band RF Output Power Typ Data Rate Indoor 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 54 Mbps Outdoor 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 54 Mbps Indoor 2.4 GHz high 11 Mbps Outdoor 2.4 GHz high 11 Mbps Indoor 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 54 Mbps Outdoor 2.4, 4.9, 5 GHz high 54 Mbps Volume 1 Page 8 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

9 Firetide WLAN Controller The Firetide WLAN Controller adds a number of enterprise-class features to the Firetide HotPoint AP product family. The WLAN Controller manages a collection of HotPoint APs. It is an optional system but offers a number of advantages. HotView Pro alone allows you to group HotPoints and manage them by groups. Channel assignments and all other parameters are configurable via HotView Pro. The Virtual AP capability of the HotPoint AP is fully exploited by HotView Pro. However, HotView Pro does not automatically and independently manage APs; it is static. The WLAN Controller offers a number of important capabilities that are especially useful in larger access point deployments. In particular, it does a number of these things automatically. Coverage Analysis - the Firetide WLAN Controller calculates a coverage map of all APs, and informs you of coverage holes. Channel Assignment - the Firetide WLAN Controller automatically manages the channel assignments of all HotPoint APs, insuring minimum interference. Because it knows the coverage map, it can pick channels to maximize coverage. DHCP Server - the WLAN Controller provides AP-wide DHCP address assignment of all clients. Radius Authentication - the WLAN Controller supports Radius authentication for wireless clients. It can use its own built-in Radius server or an external server. The WLAN Controller includes an instance of postgresql to support this. Client Mobility - the WLAN Controller supports client mobility across a collection of standalone HotPoint APs. With the Firetide Mobility Controller providing client mobility across integrated HotPoint APs, this makes a complete solution. The Firetide WLAN Controller also supports client mobility across HotPoint APs. The Controller includes a Radius server and a PostgreSQL database as well. Firetide HotClient Internet Service Delivery Nodes The HotClient system is an internet-service delivery platform for ISPs who wish to offer internet service to homes or businesses using wireless technology. The HotClient 2100 and 2000 Customer- Premises Equipment (CPE) systems offer a cost-competitive solution for internet access is locations where wired connections may not be feasible. Working with Firetide s HotPoint Access Points, the HotClient system offers zero-customer-configuration deployment, so that you can simply give the HotClient to the customer. No complex installation or configuration is required. HotClient support Radius user authentication, and HotView Pro ships with Radius. You may use an existing installation of Radius if your prefer. Service Level Agreements A unique feature of HotClient is the ability to configure multiple service levels. Each service level has a downstream rate limit, and upstream rate limit, and a guaranteed access or best-effort capability. Thus it is possible to offer customers different levels of service at different price points. Furthermore, overall network performance can be assured because of the rate limits set for users. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 9

10 Mobility The Firetide mesh supports simple, basic mobility as an inherent capability of its architecture. A mesh node can move and remain meshed with other nodes, whether moving or stationary. This can be used in a number of ways: Equipment that is mobile within a defined area can still have full Ethernet connectivity. Thus, forklifts in warehouses or heavy equipment at a construction or mine site can remain online while moving. Equipment that moves over a wider area can still link up when in range of a mesh. This can be used, for example, to allow a mass-transit bus to dump a day s worth of data automatically when it returns to the car barn at the end of the shift. Two moving vehicles can mesh while moving. This can be used to allow a mesh-equipped police car to monitor video on a mesh-equipped bus, for example, by driving along next to the bus. Basic mobility works within a single mesh for vehicles moving at modest relative speeds. However, in many cases, it s desirable to support mobile nodes across a large area that is served by multiple meshes. Firetide supports this with a family of mobility management platforms. Mobility Defined Mobility can be defined as managing the process of handing off a moving device as it passes among a collection of non-moving devices. This is a complex task, as it requires manipulation at the radio layer so that the two devices agree on frequency and other parameters, and manipulation at the IP address layer so that traffic is routed correctly. Figure 1. Example of Two Kinds of Mobility In the Firetide architecture, mobility can occur at two levels. There is the handoff of a moving HotPort node as it passes among static HotPort nodes. There is also the handoff of an client user (e.g. a person with a laptop) as he moves among static HotPoint APs. A HotPort node that has been configured to be handed off is called a Mobile node. A HotPoint AP that has been programmed to support client roaming (via handoff) is considered a Mobile HotPoint AP. Note that in most cases, the HotPoint AP is NOT moving; it is the client that is moving. This is because mobility is defined as the interface where the radio handoff is occurring. Thus, while a HotPoint AP can be installed in a moving vehicle, its backhaul is via a Mobile node, and thus the handoff is handled at the node level. This is HotPort Mobility. (This configuration is commonly used to provide client access to commuters on trains and busses.) The two kinds of Mobility are illustrated in Figure 1. At the top, a mobile client is roaming across two HotPoint APs which are configured as Mobile APs, even though they are not moving. At the bottom right, a Mobile HotPort node provides backhaul for a static HotPoint that provides access for commuters on the train. It is important to understand these distinctions because Firetide management and control products are based on it, and licenses are defined by it. HotView Pro Network Management Station Static HotPort Node with Mobile HotPoint Access Point Roaming Wi-Fi Client Enterprise LAN Gateway Server Node Network Gateway Interface freq 1 Static HotPort Node with Mobile HotPoint Access Point eth0 eth1 Mobility Controller Network Gateway Interface police Indoor HotPort Node freq 2 Static HotPoint Access Point Mobile HotPort Volume 1 Page 10 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision bus

11 Firetide Mobility Controller The Firetide Mobility Controller supports highly-mobile Firetide HotPort nodes. It can manage the handoff of nodes travelling well over 100 MPH. It also supports mobility for clients moving from HotPoint AP to HotPoint AP. The Firetide Mobility Controller is a software platform enabling advanced wireless mesh backbone and Wi-Fi access services. HotView Controller delivers high speed infrastructure mobility and seamless client roaming. The software is designed to run on a server-class machine. Several models, from Dell and IBM, are supported. The Mobility Controller lets you use HotPort mesh nodes in highly-mobile applications. Mobile nodes can roam among meshes, and you can control the range of meshes over which they may roam. The controller manages and optimizes the roaming, and maintains full IP-address transparency regardless of the location or speed of the mobile nodes. HotPoint APs which are connected to mobile HotPort nodes are supported. In addition, clients who are roaming among HotPoint APs connected to fixed or mobile HotPort nodes are also supported. If desired, the Firetide Mobility Controller can be used to support clients roaming among a collection of HotPoint APs which are not connected to HotPort nodes. However, the same controller cannot do both at the same time. Because the Firetide WLAN Controller also supports client roaming across stand-alone HotPoint APs, you may wish to deploy it instead of a second Mobility Controller Client Mobility The Firetide WLAN Controller supports client mobility across a collection of standalone Hot- Point APs. With the Firetide Mobility Controller providing client mobility across integrated HotPoint APs, this makes a complete solution. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 11

12 HotView and HotView Pro Network Management Systems HotView and HotView Pro mesh management software enables management of Firetide HotPort wireless mesh networks. This manual covers both HotView and HotView Pro. In general, references to HotView Pro commands apply to HotView as well. Specific exceptions are noted in the text. HotView is a basic mesh management tool, suitable for small mesh deployments where advanced features are not required. It enables access to standard mesh network functions and individual node settings. HotView Pro is a full-featured mesh management tool which support management of multiple meshes across an entire enterprise. HotView Pro provides live monitoring and comprehensive management for larger enterprise and service provider mesh networks. This software package delivers advanced features and options including the simultaneous management of multiple mesh networks from a central location. A mesh bridging feature provides interoperability between mesh networks enabling the use of multiple spectrums and frequencies within a single integrated mesh environment. HotView Pro also supports multiple management clients, optional wired interconnections between mesh nodes, a management database, and optimization of external gateway bandwidth. HotView Pro Exclusives HotView Pro offers a number of features suitable for enterprise-class deployments. Gateway Groups - used to provide multiple redundant connections to the outside world. Ethernet Direct - used to create a route-optimized mix of wireless and wired links. Mesh Bridge - used to connect multiple meshes. Broadcast Containment - used to define rules of propagation for Ethernet broadcast packets. Static Routes - used to manually specify certain routes. User-specifiable Ethernet link speed - used to manage overall bandwidth demand. Load Balancing. Broadcast Containment. Web-based management access from any computer. Simultaneous multiple mesh management of all enterprise meshes worldwide. SNMP with enhanced security features for network management. Support for error and statistics logging to an external database. Volume 1 Page 12 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

13 Licensing Firetide HotPort nodes, HotPoint access points, and HotClient CPE units will operate and deliver most basic functions without the presense of a Network Management System (NMS). Firetide supplies the HotView utility. HotView is licensed at no charge and can be used to perform basic setup of these platforms. Advanced features are available with the use of HotView Pro, and optionally the Firetide Mobility Controller and the Firetide WLAN Controller. These products are licensed separately. The license cost is based on the size of the mesh. HotView Pro Licensing HotVew Pro is the management platform. A basic license is good for 30 units, where a unit is defined as any of: A HotPort Node, either static or mobile; A HotPort Node and one associated HotPoint Access Point; Any additional HotPoint APs connected to a node that already has one HotPoint connection; A stand-alone HotPoint Access Point (that is, one not connected to a HotPort). For example, with a 30-unit license you can have as many as: 30 HotPort nodes; 30 stand-alone HotPoint APs; 30 HotPort nodes and 30 HotPoint APs, with each AP connected to its own HotPort; 15 HotPort nodes, each with 1 HotPoint AP, and 15 additional stand-alone HotPoint APs; 27 HotPort nodes, with 1 node having 4 HotPoint APs connected to it; 7 HotPort nodes, each with 4 HotPoint APs connected to it. (You will have 2 spare units.) Note that rule 3 encourages you to distribute HotPoint APs among HotPort nodes, as this is free from the point of view of licensing. HotView Pro ships with a temporary license key which allows you to get up and running. You then have 15 days to convert the license to permanent status, by registering it. Refer to the licensing appendix for details on the license activation process. If you need more than 30 units for your HotView Pro license, you can purchase them. Upgrading is simple; contact your Firetide representative for details. Firetide Mobility Controller Licensing The Firetide Mobility Controller supports mobile HotPort nodes and clients roaming among a collection of HotPoint APs. The Firetide Mobility Controller is sold with a basic license good for 30 units, but here the unit is defined as any of: 5. A static HotPort mesh node; 6. A mobile HotPort mesh node; 7. A HotPoint AP programmed to support mobility of client users. These can be Hot- Points which are meshed with HotPorts, or they can be stand-alone HotPoints. You cannot mix the two with one Mobility Controller; the compute burden is too great. Note that the Firetide WLAN Controller supports mobility across standalone APs, so with both controllers you can support a mix of standalone and integrated APs as well as static and mobile APs. Also note that you need at least two HotPoint APs for client mobility to be meaningful; you can t roam across one HotPoint AP. Like HotView Pro, the Mobility Controller ships with a temporary license. It must be activated within 15 days. Its license can be upgraded for more units as well. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 13

14 Firetide WLAN Controller Licensing The Firetide WLAN Controller is sold with a basic license for 30 HotPoint APs. The license does not differentiate between stand-alone and integrated APs. The WLAN controller can support any number of mobile clients across the network of APS. Unlike the other products, the WLAN Controller license must be purchased in advance as a permanent license. It is upgradable, like the other licensed products. Table 3 shows examples of licensing scenarios. Examples 1-3 are the most simple. Example 4 shows that stand-alone APs are counted separately. Example 5 shows additional APs connected to HotPorts. The first AP is free from a licensing perspective, but additional APs are counted. Example 6 shows an extreme case of this. Examples 7 and 9 illustrate mobile node licensing. The mobility license must be large enough for all mesh nodes in the network, not just mobile nodes. However, it does not need to match the total HotView Pro license count when some of that count is based on APs. Table 3. Configuration and Licensing Scenarios Ex. A B C D E F G H Static HotPort Node Mobile HotPort Node 1st Integrated HotPoint AP Add l Integrated Hot- Point APs Standalone HotPoint APs HotView Pro License Count Mobility Controller License Count WLAN Controller License Count (note 1) (28) Notes: The WLAN Controller may be added to any mesh with HotPoints in order to deploy its advanced features. It is not necessary unless you are using its ability to support client mobility across standalone HotPoint APs. This example only uses 28 of the 30 units available in the license. The mobility license count must always match the total mesh node license count. This example assumes client mobility is being supported across all HotPoint APs. Here, only 70 of the 90 units are being used. Volume 1 Page 14 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

15 Chapter 2 Planning Your Wireless Mesh Deployment What Is a Wireless Mesh Network? Simply put, a wireless mesh network extends the capabilities of an existing data network using radio technology. Today, Ethernet is by far the most widely-deployed data networking technology, so it s desirable to develop wireless mesh technology that builds on Ethernet. The heart of modern wired-ethernet networks is an Ethernet switch. Each and every user on the network is plugged into one connector on the switch. Switches are ganged together to support large numbers of users; indeed, it s possible to build an Ethernet switch with tens of thousands of connections. A typical switch is shown in Figure 2. A Firetide wireless mesh network functions exactly like an Ethernet switch. Ethernet packets which arrive at any port on the mesh are delivered to the destination port across the mesh backbone. The design of a Firetide wireless mesh is straightforward, and if a step-by-step approach is taken the outcome will be positive. This is because the design of a Firetide wireless mesh network is more forgiving than it is with other wireless networks. The reason is the self-managing nature of the Firetide mesh. Because the technology used is purpose-built for mesh networking, the mesh becomes both self-configuring and self-healing. As each node is powered up (or relocated), the entire mesh (re)configures itself automatically. Should any node fail or be taken out of service, the mesh heals itself by immediately and automatically reconfiguring itself to take advantage of any available redundant paths. Firetide Instant Mesh Networks are self-managing and self-healing, but some initial design effort is required to ensure an optimum deployment and to maximize the return on investment. This Technical Note outlines just such a design effort. It is divided into five sections: Mesh Definition. Radio Fundamentals. Site Survey & Mesh Design. Installation. Optimizing Your Mesh. Ethernet As noted, Ethernet is by far the most common data networking technology in use today. Firetide s wireless mesh technology is based on Ethernet. Fundamentally, a Firetide wireless mesh behaves exactly like a typical Ethernet switch. Figure 2. A Typical Ethernet Switch Similarities Between an Ethernet Switch and a Mesh Like any Ethernet switch, a Firetide mesh is a layer-2 device. It does not care about the layer-3 IP addressing scheme. It simply delivers Ethernet packets from input ports to output ports. Thus you can use a mesh like you would use an Ethernet switch. Your mesh can consist of any combination of indoor and outdoor nodes. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 15

16 Figure 3. A Small Wireless Mesh Wireless Mesh Backbone Differences Between an Ethernet Switch and a Mesh Meshes can be cascaded, or one mesh can be used as a backbone, interconnecting other meshes. Like any Ethernet switch, you must not create a loop (e.g. by plugging a cat-5 cable into two ports), unless you specifically provision for it. Most enterprise-class Ethernet switches are managed - that is, they include a range of extra features and control capabilities, such as VLANs, QoS, port control, and performance statistics. Firetide meshes offer these same features. There are some key differences between wired switches and wireless meshes, or switches. These fall into two categories, total bandwidth and security. All Ethernet switches have a finite backbone capacity; that is, their ability to move packets internally is fixed. For example, a switch might have 24 ports, each capable of 1 gigabit operation, but the total backbone capacity is not 24 gigabits, but much less. This is done because in real-world situations all 24 ports are not transmitting packets at the same time. A Firetide mesh has a backbone capacity of about 70 Mbps. This is adequate for most applications, but because it is less than what most wired switches offer, it s desirable to analyze the application to insure that adequate capacity is available. Because the Firetide mesh uses radio, it is inherently detectable. Unlike a physically-enclosed wired switch, a wireless switch is subject to interception. For these reason, Firetide offers several levels of advanced encryption to protect data. It is not possible to prevent detection of radio signals, but with Firetide, it is possible to prevent packet decoding or mesh access. Because the Firetide mesh depends on radio for its backbone, the key rule of mesh deployment is quite simple: Get the Radio Right, and the Mesh Will Follow. Volume 1 Page 16 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

17 Formal Definition of Mesh Figure 4. Ethernet Direct Example The term mesh is often used loosely, but it has a formal definition. A single mesh is the collection of nodes which share a common database of packet routing information. It s important to understand this concept. Nodes within a mesh share information (in real time) about the number and capacity of all links in the mesh. Nodes use this information to deliver packets. This technique is known as least-cost analysis. Cost is computed based on a number of variables, including number of hops, bandwidth per hop, congestion, and other factors. Let s look at an example of a simple three node mesh, consisting of nodes A, B, and C. Each node has a link to the other nodes. If a packet needs to get from A to C, it will normally be sent directly. However, links can vary in bandwidth capacity, and the nodes are aware of this. If for some reason the link between nodes A and C is operating at a lower data rate (e.g. 6 Mbps), the nodes would route some traffic via node B. Understanding this concept will make it easier to understand the benefit of another feature, unique to Firetide: a single mesh can consist of a collection of wireless and wired links. The least-cost routing protocol will recognize that the wired connection is available and include it in its routing decisions. Since typical wired-ethernet connections are faster (100 Mbps) and full-duplex, this can increase overall mesh performance. Firetide calls this feature Ethernet Direct. An example is shown in Figure 4. Here, the blue line represents a wired connection that helps the two halves of the mesh handle more traffic. Ethernet Direct How Packets Get Delivered Ethernet switches monitor Ethernet packets to develop a list of which Ethernet MAC addresses are connected to which ports. This list is then used to steer Ethernet packets to the correct destination port. This process is automatic. Firetide uses the same method, but adds to it to enhance performance in a wireless environment. Each node communicates to its neighbors the current status of its radio links and other information. This allows the mesh to instantly adapt to changing node locations as well as changing RF conditions. You may hear this automatic process referred to as routing. It is routing in the general sense of the term, but it is NOT routing as the term is defined by layer 3 IP routing devices. A Firetide Mesh is a layer 2 device, and does not care about the IP address scheme in use. Bandwidth Damping In order to fully understand wireless mesh behavior, you should understand some inherent characteristics of radio and their effect on overall mesh behavior. First, a single radio is inherently half-duplex, that is, it can transmit or receive, but not both at the same time. Second, two radio transmitters cannot use the same frequency at the same time. In a simple two-node mesh, this is not an issue. When operating multiple nodes, however, the halfduplex nature of a radio leads to a phenomenon known as bandwidth damping. Consider a series of nodes arranged in a line, as shown in Figure 5. Node A wishes to send a series of packets down the line to the node at the end, D. Transmission from A to B during time 1 is straightforward. Likewise, B can send to C, but note that while it is doing so (time 2), A must remain silent, to avoid interference. Thus, A s effective bandwidth is reduced by 50%. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 17

18 Figure 5. Bandwidth Damping Example Packet 1 T 0 Packet 1 T 1 Packet 2 Packet 1 T 2 Packet 2 Packet 1 T 3 Packet 3 Packet 2 In many real-world scenarios, the problem can be more severe. Each radio transmitter has an effective range, but its signal travels farther, and it can be a source of interference over a distance greater than its effective data transmission range. This is illustrated in Figure 6. Figure 6. Bandwidth Damping Example - Interference Zone Packet 1 T 0 Packet 1 T 1 Packet 1 T 2 T 3 Packet 2 Packet 2 Packet 1 Connection Range Interference Range As before, A transmits to B, and then must remain silent while B relays to C. But it must also remain silent while C transmits to D, because A s radio will interfere with C. This phenomenon is the reason Firetide mesh nodes have two radios, not one. Thus, when A is sending to B, B can use its second radio (on a different frequency) to transmit to C at the same time. Thus, full throughput is preserved, as shown in Figure 7. Figure 7. Two-Radio; Full Throughput Packet 1 T 0 Packet 2 Packet 1 T 1 Packet 3 Packet 2 Packet 1 T 2 Packet 3 Packet 2 Packet 1 T 3 Packet 3 Packet 2 Connection Range Interference Range Volume 1 Page 18 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

19 Assigning Channels With two radios, it is of course necessary to assign different frequencies to each radio ina node. At the same time, nodes must share frequencies if they are to communicate. Firetide offers two basic techniques for channel assignment. The default mode allows you to assign a single channel to radio 1 in every node, and a different channel to radio 2 in every node. Thus, all radio 1s are bonded together, and all radio 2s are bonded together. For this reason, this mode is called Bonded mode. Bonded mode should always be used upon initial setup. It is also possible to assign channels individually. By using three or more channels, the potential for problems relating to the interference zone described above can be avoided. This mode is called Channel Assignment mode. There are two options within the Channel Assignment mode: manual configuration and automatic mode. With the manual configuration mode, you manually set the desired channel on each node. The Auto-Channel Assignment mode does this for you. Correct channel assignment will improve overall mesh throughput by avoiding the half-duplex problem and the interference zone problem. Firetide strongly encourages you to deploy your mesh initially with Bonded mode, and then change channel settings only when you have particular topologies which require it. It doesn t matter, then, whether you manually re-assign channels or use the automatic feature. Why? A given mesh topology will deliver the same performance regardless of the mode or method used to arrive at that topology. This is a key point. Deploy your mesh with the easy-to-configure Bonded mode, then optimize as required. (Note that this section on channel assignment refers to the process of configuring specific channels within a band. Selecting the appropriate bands and the exact channels best suited to a particular location and application is covered in a later section.) February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 19

20 Uses for Multiple Meshes Figure 8. Connected Wireless Meshes in Different Locations A wireless mesh is a switch. Just as you can connect multiple switches to form a bigger switch, you may wish to connect multiple meshes into a larger network. There are several reasons why you might do this: You want to use wireless technology to extend Ethernet in two different areas, as shown in Figure 8. Here the two meshes are interconnected via a wired switch. One application for this occurs when wireless mesh technology is used to increase the reach of wired Ethernet within a large building, to accommodate video security or VoIP applications. Figure 9. Wireless Meshes in an Overlay Configuration You want to increase the capacity of your switch s backbone within one area to meet very high traffic demands, as shown in Figure 9. Here, the meshes occupy the same geographic area but operate on different frequencies. You might require this in an application with a very large number of video surveillance cameras. In some cases you may wish to run one portion of the mesh on a different band than another portion. In this case you can use two meshes. There are several techniques you can use to interconnect between multiple meshes. These include MultiMesh, Mesh Bridge, and combinations of the two. MultiMesh is Firetide s name for interconnecting a collection of wireless meshes using a wired backbone, that is, an Ethernet switch. This is a common and recommended technique. It is illustrated in Figure 8 and Figure 9. MeshBridge is Firetide s term for a connection via a secure encrypted tunnel between two meshes. The actual data transmission medium can be almost anything. This characteristic makes Mesh Bridge an extremely useful feature. Fundamentally, a Mesh Bridge exists when you define a connection between one of the Ethernet ports on a node on Mesh X and one of the Ethernet ports on a node on Mesh Y. The simplest case of this is shown in Figure 10, where a wired connection exists between the two meshes. Volume 1 Page 20 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

21 Figure 10. Basic Mesh Bridge Connection Mesh Bridge Among the applications are: Connection via a wired Ethernet connection. This is the simplest case, as shown in Figure 10. Connection via a fiber-optic link. Figure 11. Mesh Bridge Connection via a Routable IP Conniection Connection via a wireless link. This includes a pair of Firetide mesh nodes configured as a longhaul link. The key thing to remember is that any data link which can connect to the Ethernet ports on each mesh can be used for a Mesh Bridge connection. This is shown in Figure 11. Note that the Mesh Bridge connection spans the intervening wireless link. This provides end-to-end encryption and security for data. Thus, a Mesh Bridge connection can be safely operated over an insecure thirdparty link. It is possible - and common - to link two Firetide meshes with a third mesh that is used as a Mesh Bridge, as shown in Figure 12. Any IP-routable connection Mesh Bridge Figure 12. Mesh Bridge Connection via a Wireless Link Mesh Bridge A mesh can have multiple Mesh Bridge connections to other meshes. This is a common design technique. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 21

22 Connecting Meshes to the Wired Backbone Figure 13. Network Gateway Interfaces and the Gateway Group In wired applications, switches are connected together with cat-5 cable. This works with wireless meshes as well, and is a suitable design choice in many cases. Wireless meshes, especially in outdoor installation, are subject to individual node failure, either due to power loss or accidental damage (that is, the light pole gets hit by a car). If the lost node is the one that was providing the wired connection to the enterprise backbone, connectivity to the mesh will be lost. Note that the mesh itself will keep working; only its connection to the outside world is disabled. For this reason, Firetide has created a method that provides multiple redundant connections between a mesh and the wired backbone. This serves two purposes: it provides redundancy, and in high-traffic applications it increases the total mesh capacity by allowing multiple radio links to carry traffic to the multiple exit points. Firetide calls this multi-connection technique a Network Gateway Interface (NGI). Multiple NGI nodes are placed under the control of a Gateway Server (GWS) to create a Gateway Group (GWG). This is shown in Figure 13. Enterprise LAN or Internet Ethernet Switch Wireless Mesh Cloud NGI Gateway Server NGI HotPort Node In typical installations, the NGI nodes are place relatively far apart, and where the wired backhaul connection is easy to implement. Ideally they should be placed to minimize the number of hops any packet must take to reach the NGI node. In all cases the NGI nodes should be mounted so that they do not share a single point of failure, i.e. a common power source or common mounting point. Volume 1 Page 22 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

23 Mesh Applications Wireless Ethernet meshes are useful in a number of applications. Wireless mesh works well both indoors and out, but because of the relative difficulty of installing Ethernet cable outdoors, many of the applications are focussed on outdoor use. Applications include: Video Surveillance - the use of IP cameras to conduct video surveillance in private or public settings. Firetide offers the multimegabit capacity needed for quality video, and the self-configuring nature of the Firetide mesh means ad-hoc camera deployments will automatically join existing meshes. Access Point Support for VoIP - the use of a mesh to support additional AP deployment insures 100% coverage for cordless VoIP phones. Many existing wireless AP deployments do not provide 100% coverage inside buildings. A Firetide mesh can extend in-building wiring to all these areas. Telemetry / Security - the use of wireless mesh technology to provide Ethernet connectivity for building security, badge readers, access control, fire monitoring, and similar applications. Ad Hoc - wireless meshes are useful in emergency situations such as crime scenes and fires; also at locations such as concerts, festivals, and similar events. General Data - wireless meshes provide a good way to support general data applications, either via wired Ethernet connections or via AP deployments. Uses include in-room Internet at hotels, building-to-building links in campuses and office parks, coverage for credit-card readers and point-of-sale (POS) devices, and other applications. Mobility - wireless mesh designs support rapidly-moving vehicles and changing mesh topologies. This allows police and fire vehicles to remain connected while roaming, and can also be used to provide Internet access to passengers on trains and busses. Backhaul Links - a pair of wireless nodes can be configured as a point-to-point link to connect networks not otherwise connectable. Metro-Scale Wi-Fi - many cities are deploying Wi-Fi networks for public use. Internet Service Delivery - for areas not well-served by cable or DSL, wireless Internet service delivery is a viable option. Each of these different mesh applications will have different design goals and requirements. In many cases, a mesh may be built with more than one of these applications in mind. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 23

24 Chapter 3 Planning Your Radio Environment Radio Fundamentals There are three key radio (RF) factors that are important in a wireless networking application: RF propagation characteristics - how far will the signal travel? Under what conditions? RF interference - what other sources of radio energy will interfere with the desired signal? RF Propagation In general, radio waves travel in straight lines, but they can be bent by atmospheric conditions, reflected by many types of materials, and absorbed by many other types. All of these factors must be taken into consideration when placing wireless mesh nodes. In the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands used by , radio waves don t bend enough to matter, therefore one often hears the term line-of-sight with respect to RF propagation. This is a good rule of thumb, but is not strictly true in all cases. It s helpful to understand some of these cases. Obstruction is the most common issue. RF energy at these frequencies will pass through many solid materials without excessive loss, but are reflected from, or absorbed, by others. Walls made from wood and sheetrock offer a little resistance to RF, but not a lot. Walls made with metal studs and sheetrock, as is commonly done in office buildings, block more RF. Solid walls of brick or stone block most of the signal energy. Pure clear window glass passes RF fairly well, but many windows in commercial buildings (and some in houses) use glass which has been tinted or coated to increase its energy efficiency. These coatings are a thin layer of metal, and will block RF. Thus, line of sight through a window may perform more poorly than line of sight through a simple wood-frame partition wall. Dynamic Sources So far we have looked at non-moving materials. RF signals are also degraded by moving objects; in particular, people and vehicles. People absorb RF energy; in locations with lots of people, such as shopping malls and performance venues, the effect is significant. Most vehicles - cars, trucks, trains, busses, etc. - are made of metal, and will block (and reflect) RF signals. This must be taken into account when planning a network where vehicles may be present. Rain (and snow) also absorb RF, but at the distances involved in most Firetide mesh applications, the amount of absorption is not large enough to be of concern. Ice and snow build-up on antennas, however, can be a problem. Reflections and Multipath Solid objects do not only absorb radio waves, they also reflect them. In many cases, the reflected signal will reach the receiver along with the main signal, but slightly later, due to the longer path. The two signals can be out of phase, and so will cancel each other. This phenomenon is called Multipath. Multipath can occur almost anywhere, but is especially common in urban areas, where buildings reflect the signal, and over water, where water reflects the signal. Figure 14. Multipath Example Usually, multipath can be fixed by repositioning the node slightly, or by using directional antennas aimed such that they don t pick up the reflected signals, or don t radiate in the direction of the multipath-causing object. Sometimes multipath can be helpful. In certain cases, you may be able to bounce a signal around an obstruction. This is tricky, however, and not usually recommended. Volume 1 Page 24 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

25 RF Interference The other factor most affecting overall RF performance is RF interference. Interference is defined as any RF energy which degrades signal reception. Interference can come from several sources: Other equipment operating on the same frequency. Other equipment operating on nearby frequencies. Microwave ovens. Cordless phones. Other wireless equipment in (or near) the ISM bands. Radar systems. The popularity of home wireless equipment means that the 2.4 GHz band is often quite crowded. In the US, there are only three non-overlapping channels (1, 6, and 11), so the likelihood of channelassignment conflict is significant. Historically, the 5 GHz band has been less crowded than the 2.4 GHz band, but this is changing with the increasing popularity of n wireless equipment. Despite this, you should consider using the 5 GHz band if there are, or you expect, widespread access point deployments. The US market offers a public safety band at 4.9 GHz. Qualifying agencies (police, fire, essential public services) should consider using this band. Regardless of the band you select, you should conduct a frequency survey. This is covered in detail in the section on Site Surveys. RF Power Levels In RF systems, it s common to refer to power levels in units of decibels, or db, rather than the more-familiar watts or milliwatts. Decibels are a ratio, rather than an absolute power level. Thus, when measuring power, it s common to add a third letter to the db to indicate what reference points is being used. Thus, power is often quotes in dbm - db relative to 1 milliwatt. The advantage (and confusion) of using db is that it is a logarithmic scale. Thus it replaces complicated multiplication and division calculations with simple addition and subtraction. For example, doubling the signal power is an addition of 3 db; reducing the signal power to one-quarter is a subtraction of 6 db. Signal-to-Noise Ratio Radio engineers speak of the signal-to-noise ratio of a radio link. In general, the signal must be stronger than the background noise, static, and interference in order for reliable data transmission to occur. Much as a weak radio station becomes unintelligible as the static gets stronger, a Firetide mesh radio link will become unintelligible as the static, or noise, becomes stronger. For Firetide radio links, the signal strength must be about -70 dbm for full data rate operation. Links will work at weaker signal levels, but only at reduced data rates. Path Loss and the Link Budget The concept of the link budget is straightforward: you can calculate the expected signal strength at the receiver, based on transmitter power, antenna gain, and other factors. P rcvr = P xmit - L txcable + G txant - L path + G rxant - L rxcable This may seem complex, but it is just addition and subtraction. Using a spreadsheet program, you can easily calculate the link budget between all neighbor pairs in a mesh. The key variable you need is the path loss, which is given by this equation: L path = 20log(D) + 20log(F) where D is the distance in kilometers and F is the frequency in MHz. By calculating the expected power at the receiver, you will know in advance whether you have met the signal-to-noise requirement of each Firetide node. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 25

26 The Fresnel Zone RF signals in the microwave range are often described as line-of-sight. While this is not strictly true in all cases, it s close enough for design purposes. Line-of-sight does NOT, however, mean a laser-beam-like path. Radio waves, like all electromagnetic waves, are fat - they have a diameter greater that zero. The diameter is a function of the frequency and the distance from the transmitter, as shown in Figure 15. Figure 15. Fresnel Zone r d d Why does this matter? Basically, if you try to send a radio signal along a path whose Fresnel zone is obstructed, the signal will be weakened. The two most common scenarios where this occurs are: Nodes are placed atop building A and building C, with building B between them. Even though building B is slightly shorter than A or C, it obstructs the Fresnel zone. The radio waves refract and are weakened at the receiver. Nodes are place such that the radio path passes between two buildings. Again, the buildings intrude into the Fresnel zone, and weaken the signal. How much intrusion is too much? Theoretically, any intrusion weakens the signal, but experience has shown that if the inner two thirds of the Fresnel zone are unobstructed, and the outer third only slightly obstructed, you will still get a strong signal. The maximum radius of the first Fresnel zone is given by: r in meters, d in kilometers, f in GHz d r = f r, d in feet, f in GHz d r =.5 f Volume 1 Page 26 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

27 Antennas Correct antenna selection and placement is the single most important aspect of mesh design. In order to determine the best antenna(s) for each node in your mesh, you should understand antenna types and characteristics. Antenna Terms Several terms are commonly used when discussing antenna types. Among them are: Gain - most antennas are designed to focus the RF energy in certain directions. A completely unfocused antenna radiates energy in all directions, similar to the way an ordinary lightbulb radiates light in all directions. Such an antenna is called an isotropic radiator. By focusing energy in a specified direction, an antenna is like a spotlight - an aimed source. This increase in brightness in one direction is called gain. Type - antennas are classified both by design type (e.g. yagi) and pattern (e.g. sector). These are described in more detail below. Pattern - all antennas (even so-called omni-directional) radiate more energy in some directions than in others. The directions of radiation define the pattern. Beamwidth - the beamwidth represents the width, in degrees, of the radiated beam of the antenna. The signal gets weaker as the receiver moves off the axis of radiation. The beamwidth is the point at which the signal strength has dropped by 50% (3 db). Side Lobe - in the real world, antennas often radiate some energy in directions other than the primary direction. These are called side lobes. For example, many directional antennas will radiate some power in the exact opposite direction from the main beam. Sometimes side lobes can be useful in mesh designs. In other cases, they can cause interference. Polarization - all electromagnetic waves are polarized. (You may be familiar with this effect in sunglasses.) Polarization can be horizontal, vertical, or circular. There are two key aspects of polarization that affect mesh design. First, antennas must share the same polarization in order to communicate. This can be used to reduce interference from other transmitters in the area. Second, reflected signals are often of different polarization; therefore changing polarization can be used to reduced multipath. Impedance - most equipment designed for (and other applications) is rated at 50 ohms impedance. You need to make sure all components in your design are rated accordingly. Antenna Types Antennas are of two basic types, directional and non-directional. Non-directional antennas are called omni-directional, but this is a misnomer, as discussed below. Directional antennas may be further categorized as highly direction or moderately directonal. Highly directional antennas, as the name suggests, focus the beam in a fairly narrow cone, typically 30 degrees or less. Some highly directional antennas have beamwidths of just a few degrees. Highly directional antenna types include Yagis and parabolic, or dish antennas. Some panel antennas are highly directional as well. Moderately directional antennas have beamwidths of 60, 90, or 120, in at least one axis. They may be narrow or wide in the other axis. In general, the pattern can be thought of as wedgeshaped, resembling a pie slice. Sector antennas and some panel antennas are moderatly directional, and are preferred in most general mesh applications. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 27

28 Drawbacks of Omni Antennas It s tempting to simply put omni-directional antennas on all nodes, but this is often not a wise choice. The term omni is a misnomer; omnis do not transmit in all directions, but only horizontally. The typical vertical beamwidth of an omni is 8 to 12 degrees; when nodes are at different elevations they may fail to see each other. Omnis are relatively low-gain, 8 to 15 dbi typically, and with higher gains have very narrow vertical beamwidths. Omnis are also more likely to pick up interference from other sources. This can include the other radio in the node. Omni antennas should be mounted in such a way as to minimize their mutual coverage. Typically this is done by mounting them co-axially. Since omni antennas do not radiate from their ends, placing them end-to-end minimizes mutual coverage. On indoor units, simply pointing one antenna up and one antenna down is usually sufficient. Directional Antennas Many mesh designs will feature a high percentage of sector or panel antennas. The wedge-shape coverage pattern avoids interference, yet provides broad enough coverage to accommodate most topologies. Indoor and Outdoor Antennas Firetide supplies omni-directional antennas with all Firetide mesh nodes. These antennas are designed for indoor use only. They are not weather-resistant and will fail quickly if used outdoors. When planning your mesh, you should select antenna types as part of your planning process. Use the supplied indoor antennas for initial configuration work only. This applies especially to outdoor meshes, but indoor ones as well. Antenna placement is a critical aspect of mesh design. All antennas consist of a radiating element and one or more reflector elements. These are made of metal, and are very carefully shaped and space to produce the desired antenna characteristics. Volume 1 Page 28 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

29 Antenna Placement Any piece of metal in the vicinity of an antenna will affect the antenna s performance, usually in a negative way. Other RF-reflective surfaces (e.g. tinted glass windows) will also affect the antenna. Last and not least, other antennas will affect an antenna as well. When planning node locations, you should take antenna placement into consideration. It s best to place antennas such that they are not near metal objects or RF-reflective surfaces. You should also avoid placing them where they will affect their neighbors - e.g. parallel. This is a restrictive set of constraints. How far is near? How much metal causes a problem? How far apart must antennas be? In the real world, you will need to make trade-offs. Near Most installers prefer to see around 1.6 meters (5 feet) of space between an antenna and any metal pipe, guy wire, or reflective surface. A little more is better; 1 meter (3 feet) is the minimum acceptable value for most installations. Metal and Reflective Surfaces Metal objects that are as large or larger than the wavelength can affect the signal. At frequencies, this means any object more than about 10 centimeters should be considered significant, and should follow the near rule. Most building exterior material are good RF reflectors. Brick, stone, and concrete all reflect well. The tinted (metallized) glass commonly used for modern windows is also a good reflector. Try to mount antennas 1 to 1.6 meters or more from such surfaces. Relative Antenna Placement Nothing picks up an RF signal as well as an antenna. The two antennas on a Firetide mesh node will talk to each other, and will interact with access point nodes as well. Figure 16. HotPort Outdoor Node with Two Radios on Different Bands The two radios in the Firetide mesh node prefer an RF separation in excess of 40 db. As a general rule, if the two radios are in different bands, placing the antennas several feet apart will produce sufficient RF separation, as shown in Figure 16. Figure 17 shows a HotPort node with an AP attached to it. The two AP antennas point down, but there is only one radio, so it s OK to have them parallel. (The second antenna is for diversity, and is optional.) However, this installation is sub-optimal for another reason. The AP antennas are close to the vertical pole. A better configuration is shown in Figure 18 February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 29

30 Figure 17. HotPort Mesh Node and HotPoint AP Mounted Together - Poor Placement Figure 18. HotPort Mesh Node and HotPoint AP Mounted Together - Poor Placement Volume 1 Page 30 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

31 802.11a/b/g Radio Fundamentals Regulatory Background So far, we have discussed principles common to all radio systems. There are a few concepts that are specific to radio as it is used in the a, b, and g wireless protocols. Every nation in the world regulates the use of RF transmitters. While there are specific differences in each country, for the most part each transmitter is individually licensed. The cost of obtaining the license is relatively high, and the use is restricted. There are a few exceptions. Most countries permit the use of very low-power transmitters on a few frequencies for use in toys. Channels are also available for cordless phones and small walkietalkies. In general, the range of frequencies and permitted power levels are limited, making these channels not useful for high-speed data Wireless Characteristics There is an exception: most governments have allocated a range of frequencies in the 2.4 GHz band, and another range in the 5 GHz band, for unlicensed use at relatively high power levels. Some countries, including the US, reserve some bandwidth for public safety uses. In the US, this is at 4.9 GHz. These bands offer capacity sufficient for most networking applications. Over time, the industry has evolved a body of standards for the transmission of Ethernet at these frequencies. Collectively, these standards are known as It is outside the scope of this document to describe in detail, but interested readers may wish to refer to the Wikipedia article on for additional information. Firetide technology builds on the family of protocols to deliver Ethernet wirelessly. Firetide uses the 5 GHz frequencies specified under a and the 2.4 GHz frequencies specified under b and g. (Firetide also supports the 4.9 GHz public safety band.) Thus, it s important to understand the behavior and real-world characteristics of these frequencies. Most importantly, you should understand the claimed data rates. The b specification claims a maximum data rate of 11 Mbps; a and g claim a maximum rate of 54 Mbps. These maximums are measured under idealized conditions. Each protocol has an automatic fall-back mechanism that reduces the data rate if the received signal is less than perfect. Less-than-perfect conditions are not uncommon in real-world conditions. In addition, these data rates represent the peak bit rate, and do not account for inter-packet gaps or Ethernet collisions. Thus, real-world data rates will be lower. Channel Spacing & Power The original specifications for wireless placed the channels close together, but later experience at higher data rates showed the need for greater channel separation. Most designers prefer 20 to 30 MHz separation. Thus, in the US it is common practice to use only channels 1,6, and 11 in the 2.4 GHz band. Also note that the maximum power level for each channel varies. You should consult a reference (e.g., Wikipedia) for available channels and power levels in your country. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 31

32 Chapter 4 Site Survey What is a Site Survey? A site survey is a planning operation where initial mesh design work is done and, most importantly, RF and other key variables are measured. A site survey is not difficult or expensive. Why Perform a Site Survey? A site survey is the key step in developing a successful mesh deployment. The site survey process determines the RF lay of the land, and you should no more deploy an RF system without a site survey than buy land that was never surveyed. With the data that is recorded as part of a good site survey, it s easy to properly design your mesh deployment, and installation will go smoothly with few surprises. Without a proper site survey, you are flying blind and will probably crash. Site Survey Process Overview There are three steps to a Site Survey: The preliminary plan. The physical survey. The final plan. The Preliminary Plan A Site Survey begins with a map of the location to be covered, and a needs analysis of the deployment. The map lets you determine likely node locations, other possible locations, and alternates. It allows estimation of whether you will need extra nodes to insure RF coverage. Depending on the site, you can use architect s floor plans, topo maps, or on-line map services, such as Google. The important thing is that it be a scaled map, not just a sketch. The needs analysis allows you to estimate overall mesh requirements as well as the need for nodes in specific locations - e.g. close to surveillance cameras. The Physical Survey Next, you will visit the site and conduct the formal survey. During this process, you will record several pieces of information. For each node site or possible node site, you will record: Location of node, including elevation of the antenna, above ground and above local structures, (e.g. roof). A small GPS unit is useful for this. Access to wired infrastructure. Access to power. In outdoor installations, power is often the most difficult issue. Photographs from each prospective node site looking the direction of all neighbor nodes. Wall thickness and material. Notes regarding nearby objects which might affect a deployment (e.g. machinery). Notes regarding moving items - trucks, forklifts, conveyors, people, or other factors likely to change over time. Take photos when possible. Notes and photos about trees and shrubs. Notes regarding any issues which might affect antenna mounting or placement. An RF scan to see what other devices might be operating on either band in that area. An RF signal strength measurement to each neighbor, done with a pair of Firetide nodes. This survey process is not complex. The key factor is thoroughness and completeness; during the survey you should look for variables that will affect performance. The Final Plan After you have completed data collection, you will prepare three or four documents: The node placement plan shows the location and elevation of each node, and the direction that each antenna will point. The neighbor table. This shows the distance and elevation between each pair of nodes. The path analysis. This is a spreadsheet which calculates the link budget for each pair of nodes in the mesh, using the path equation as discussed earlier. Optional: The bandwidth analysis. For video surveillance meshes, you may wish to compute the data throughput along key paths to insure adequate capacity. When you ve completed this analysis, you can develop a detailed deployment plan, including a complete bill of materials. Volume 1 Page 32 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

33 Site Survey - Preliminary Mesh Design The preliminary design is a paper design, done on your map. It purpose is to give you a basic idea of what the requirements are before you do the site survey. For outdoor mesh designs, use a Google Earth view as a starting point. On your map, you will note the locations of all points where you need a node - that is, any place where there will be a surveillance camera, access point, or other Ethernet devices. Next, note where your backhaul connection points are (or will be). These can be at the edge of your planned mesh, or may be in the middle. In a multi-story building every floor should have at least one node, and the nodes should be placed at opposite ends of the building from floor to floor, to improve floor-to-floor coverage. Next, identify where the Head Node(s) will be. (Head Nodes are where wireless traffic enters the wired network infrastructure, and need a wired-ethernet connection.) For a small mesh, a single Head Node may be adequate, but in most cases you will want two or more such nodes. This increases throughput and provides redundancy. Working out from the Head Node(s), draw straight lines to nearby nodes, and note whether there are obstructions. If there are, look for additional node locations which can bridge the gap. Continue this until you ve established a path to all nodes. Note that a node can talk to one neighbor node or multiple neighbor nodes, but that this affects antenna choice. Make a preliminary guess as to antenna types - sector, panel, or omni. (Firetide recommends sector or panel antennas for most applications.) The traffic flow in most mesh applications is tree-like, flowing from specific edge nodes (where there are cameras or access points) up to one or more points where the traffic transitions to a wired infrastructure. Because of this flow, in most cases you will use directional antennas on the nodes, with one antenna pointing upstream and the other antenna pointing downstream. Next, check the distance between node neighbor pairs. If there are one or two links that are more than half a mile (0.8 Km) apart, consider putting a node in between. If most of the links are over half a mile, the network can be re-tuned to match. (Keeping links short slightly improves overall network throughput, but links can be several miles long if desired.) Ideally, you will check Fresnel zone clearance on all links, sinc eit is easy to calculate with a spreadsheet. At a minimum, you should check it for all links over half a mile long. If you re unsure of whether you need a node in a particular spot, go ahead and plot it. The reason for the preliminary design is to guide you in taking measurements in the field, so it s better to measure extra locations than to skip a place where you may need a node. Now that you have an idea of where you will place nodes, it s time to do the site survey. Take your plan with you. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 33

34 Surveying the Site Using Mesh Nodes to Measure RF Performance At the site, you are going to visit each of the locations you plotted in your preliminary plan. At each location, you will record the following information: Co-ordinate information, from a hand-held GPS. Approximate elevation of the antenna, both above ground and above roofs, etc, where applicable. A photograph of the node mounting site. Photographs looking toward each neighbor site. Distance to nearest power connection, and type of power (AC or DC, voltage, phase). Note that street lamps may not have available power in them; they are often switched remotely. An RF scan of other transmitters in the area. Ideally this is taken with a spectrum analyzer, but an sniffer (e.g. NetStumbler) is a good start. The height of all buildings or other objects large enough to block signals. Building heights can be determined with an inclinometer, or by measuring a photo of the building that includes an object of known height (i.e., your assistant). Note the presence of any electrical machinery or microwave ovens. Also note if cordless phones are in use. Note (and photograph) the presence of trees and shrubs. Landscaping tends to block RF, and trees get bigger over time, not smaller. Make a note (and possibly a picture) of any other unusual characteristic of the location. You will also make a signal strength measurement between each neighbor pair. This is performed with a pair of Firetide mesh nodes. You and a helper will set the nodes up temporarily, and record the received signal strength in both directions. Record it for both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. This can be done using HotView and a laptop. You can use either dual-radio nodes or single-radio nodes, but it s faster with dual-radio nodes. Before you begin the survey, mount the nodes to a small tripod mast assembly, and attach a 2.4 GHz-band and 5 GHz-band directional antenna to the mast. Small panel antennas are a good choice. Point them both in the same direction. Place the two tripod assemblies approximately in the locations you have selected in your preliminary plan. Use HotView on the laptop to record the RSSI and Link Quality parameters. Be sure to record it in BOTH directions. Make the checks on both bands. The goal of this test is NOT necessarily to achieve a good link, but simply to determine what would be required in the final installation to achieve a good link. A Final Check Don t leave the site yet. Are all of you potential node locations workable? Do they have access to power? Are there unexpected obstructions? If so, survey alternate mesh locations. Volume 1 Page 34 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

35 Site Survey - Finalizing Your Mesh Network Design First, adjust your node placement plan as required. You may need to move a node in order to have access to power, or to deal with obstacles larger or taller than anticipated. When you have your adjusted node plan, it s time to proceed to the analysis phase. Armed with the data from your site survey, you will prepare three spreadsheets, as described earlier. The first one will list all node locations in a row across the top and in a column down the left. Each square will show the distance and angular elevation to the neighbor. A sample spreadsheet is shown in this table: A B C D D 0, 180 feet, , 118 feet; , 215 feet, C feet, ,180 feet, B 143, 215 feet, The second spreadsheet is similar, except that it uses the path loss equation and your planned antenna choices to calculate the received signal strength in each direction. You will use this to verify adequate signal strength. Note: many designers also calculate the maximum Fresnel zone for each link, to make it easy to check for infringements. The third spreadsheet forms the basis of your Bill of Materials. For each node location, you will list the following items: Node type. Antenna types, including mounting bracket. Antenna cable type and length. Method of power and power cable. Bandwidth Analysis If you are building a video surveillance mesh (or other high-bandwidth application) you must also perform a bandwidth analysis. Begin by measuring the actual bandwidth generated by your chosen camera(s). Test it with a variety of images. The bandwidth is often larger than the manufacturer s claims. Next, working from the video nodes back to the mesh egress point(s), add up the total traffic that will be carried on each link. Firetide recommends that you not exceed 20 Mbps per radio link. Higher rates tend to cause occasional collisions which can in turn cause jerky video. Don t forget to calculate downstream bandwidth. PTZ cameras require it. The result of your analysis will be a tree-like graph, where the cameras are the leaves and the mesh exit point is the trunk. Analyze each radio path individually. Each radio can handle in excess of 20 Mbps, but you want to make sure the loads are balanced across both radios. If the bandwidth demands exceed recommended limits, there are several solutions: Add more egress points. Add an Ethernet Direct path. In some applications, you may wish to split the mesh and run two meshes in parallel. Add nodes so that there are multiple paths. Topology Considerations Mesh Designers often speak of a dense mesh or a sparse mesh. These terms refer to the degree to which each node has a direct link to every other node. In small meshes, especially indoors, you may have a situation where every node has a direct (that is, 1-hop) link to every other node. This is considered fully meshed, or 100% meshed. While it will provide the best performance, it is not usually worth the cost in nodes if the mesh coverage area is large. More commonly, you will have a mesh where most paths are one hop, but some paths are two or even three hops long. Such a mesh is considered dense. In some cases you may have a sparse mesh, one it which most paths are two or more hops. With Firetide dual-radio nodes, it is acceptable to have paths which are three or more hops long, but you must make sure you have assigned channels and planned antenna coverage such that bandwidth damping does not occur. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 35

36 Additional Node Placement Tips During the transition from indoors to outdoors (and vice versa), you may wish to use a short Ethernet Direct connection. This avoids difficulties in trying to get the signal to penetrate a wall or roof. Indoor nodes mounted in attic spaces often have limited outdoor range because the roofing material blocks or deflects the radio signal. The availability of AC power and/or mounting surfaces often determines the exact location of a node. For example, the best possible overlap of circles may find a node located in the middle of a parking lot. But the nearest light pole with available power may be 25 meters away. The adjustment may require neighboring nodes to be moved slightly before committing to the design. Site Survey Tools To conduct a site survey, you will need a helper and the following tools and supplies: A hand-held GPS, to record the location and elevation of node sites and other items. Site Surveys for Ad-Hoc Networks An inclinometer (for measuring the elevation of buildings and other items.) A spectrum analyzer, to look for sources of RF interference. A digital camera. A model with 3 to 4 Mpixels and a decent zoom capability is sufficient. Most cell-phone cameras, however, don t have enough zoom for useful outdoor pictures. Ladders or other access devices. A pocket circuit tester or voltmeter, to determine whether AC power is available. A pair of Firetide mesh nodes, each mounted on a small tripod and equipped with antennas and a source of power. This can be an extension cord or a small portable generator. These nodes will be used to conduct RF checks; details on how to do this are covered later. A laptop computer with HotView. You may want to install an RF sniffing tool, such as NetStumbler. A notebook for recording all information and data. How do you do a site survey for an ad-hoc network? (An ad-hoc network is any network set up on a temporary or emergency basis. Such networks are common in police and fire applications.) By definition, you cannot survey the site it s unknown. But you can survey the setup. By building a mockup of a typical scenario, you can verify operation of equipment. More importantly, you can check signal strength, link speed, and other key parameters, and you can experiment with node placements. By doing this, you will develop a performance envelope. You will know in advance how much flexibility you have in node placement when you are setting up your ad-hoc network. When seconds count, this can make a difference. Volume 1 Page 36 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

37 An Example Camera Installation A major metro police department had a problem a serial killer to catch. Two, as it turned out. They needed video surveillance in a hurry. Working with an experienced system integrator, they deployed over 20 IP cameras in about two weeks, using a Firetide mesh to deliver the video back to police headquarters. The mesh operates in the 4.9 GHz spectrum reserved for public safety used by the FCC. Use of the reserved spectrum minimizes interference from, and with, other wireless services. The mesh network connects to the city s fiber network for backhaul to police headquarters, where typically two officers staff the monitoring room. The initial deployment consisted of 30 cameras and 45 mesh nodes, grouped into 7 interconnected mesh networks, and covered 40 square miles. The police department uses customdeveloped camera hides (enclosures that look like air conditioning units or power-pole transformers, etc.). The downtown area is a sprinkle of new 40-story high rises mixed with low buildings,. It is a difficult RF environment. The ease with which cameras and nodes can be moved is important. Once a mesh is up and running, individual nodes can be moved at will within the overall mesh area without any reconfiguration or other work just move the hardware. The Plan Planning was begun by identifying two neighborhoods for initial deployment. Locations with access to the City s fiber backbone were chosen. From these anchor points, a grid was developed, with nodes sited on utility poles in most locations. Not all nodes had cameras, but camera sites were selected based on police data of problem areas. By slightly overbuilding the mesh, the police have the ability to deploy temporary additional cameras on an ad-hoc basis. A bandwdith analysis was performed. From this, it was determined that at least four connections would be needed from the mesh to the wired infrastructure in order to assure quality video. To allow for expansion, six connections were designed in. The Implementation The mesh was built out by a team drawn from City municipal workers and a local system integrator. Working out from the backbone connection points, nodes were mounted and brought on-line. In many cases, custom camera blinds, built by the system integrator, were used. Conclusion The system worked. Use of video surveillance allowed more officers to be deployed on investigations, and the killers were caught and convicted. A Special-Case Application: Protecting a Wired Connection Figure 19. Protecting a Wired Connection Firetide s technology features detection and recovery from packet-delivery problems. This selfhealing can be used to protect a wired connection with a wireless one. The design is simple: a series of Firetide nodes are placed along a path that connects the two endpoints of the wired connection. (The wireless path does not need to follow the wired path precisely.) The two endpoint nodes, and (optionally) nodes along the path, are connected and configured as a Gateway Group. The complete configuration is shown in Figure 19. NGI NGI NGI Ethernet Switch Line to be Protected Ethernet Switch Line to be Protected Gateway Server Ethernet Switch In normal operation, the Gateway Group software will prefer the (faster) wired path. However, if a portion of the wired link goes down, the Gateway software will automatically use the wireless link to bridge the traffic. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 37

38 Chapter 5 IP Addressing in Firetide Mesh Networks IP Addresses Independence Firetide meshes are IP-independent, and will transport Ethernet packet using any IP addressing system your enterprise might have. For management purposes, Firetide meshes do have IP addresses. These addresses are independent of your enterprise IP scheme; a Firetide mesh will transport any IP packet given to it. The Firetide IP addresses exist only for management purposes. Reserved Management Addresses Table 4. Reserved IP Addresses Various Firetide products have default addresses on the X/24 subnet. In general, you may use any other addresses on this subnet for your host PC, router, or other equipment. Reserved addresses are shown in Table Default Mesh IP Address Default HotView Controller IP Address Default WLAN Controller IP Address Default HotPoint AP IP Address Default HotClient CPE IP Address Default camera IP address for IVS100 IP Addresses for Other Purposes While the Firetide mesh is IP address independent, other Firetide equipment operates at layer 3, and thus is IP-address aware. This includes HotPoint APS and HotClient CPEs. You may wish to reserve a block of addresses for use by Firetide network equipment. If you are planning, or even contemplating, a larger, more complex Firetide deployment, it is worth the time now to plan out an address-assignment scheme that provides for management IP addresses as well as IP addresses for all other potential requirements. Firetide IP addresses are needed for several reasons. Each mesh has a unique IP address used for management. The default is , but it can be any address that is reachable from the HotView NMS. Meshes which have mesh-bridge connections to other meshes have IP addresses assigned to the endpoints. Ethernet Direct connections use IP addresses as endpoint identifiers. Gateway groups also use IP addresses as endpoint identifiers. Each Firetide HotPoint Access Point has a unique IP address used for management. Access Points have additional IP addresses defined for virtual APs and other functions. The Firetide Controller will have two (or more) IP addresses as well. Complete details on IP addresses for various Firetide products can be found in the sections specific to those products. Volume 1 Page 38 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

39 Mesh IP Addresses and ARP Tables No single node in a HotPort Mesh has an IP address; the management IP address for the mesh is shared by all the nodes. Node MAC addresses, however, are specific to each node. When you connect a PC (or other equipment) to a node, software in the network protocol stack will associate the IP address with the MAC address of that node. This relationship is maintained in the Address Resolution Protocol table, or ARP table. If you move the PC s wired-ethernet connect from one node in a mesh to another, you change the MAC address but not the IP address. This causes erroneous, or stale, ARP entries. ARP tables are used by Windows, Linux, and most other operating systems to track the MAC (Ethernet) address associated with each IP address. If you are using a workstation to configure multiple HotPort nodes individually, the workstation may lose connection to a node due to a stale ARP entry. To avoid this, whenever you physically connect to a different node, flush the ARP cache with the following command: > arp -d * (for Windows. Consult man pages for other OS) Ping Your system s ping command is a very useful debug tool. If you experience a problem connecting to any mesh, try pinging that mesh s IP address. > ping (use your mesh IP address) or > ping t for a persistent (continuous) ping. (for Windows. Consult man pages for other OS) Mobility and IP Firetide s Controller, used to support mobility across meshes, automatically creates tunnels for mobile nodes so that the IP address assigned to Ethernet devices attached to that node always appear on the correct subnet. This is covered in more detail in Section VII, Managing Mobility. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 39

40 Chapter 6 Planning Your HotView Pro Installation The HotView Pro Architecture A Firetide mesh is a self-running entity; it does not require a network management system for moment-to-moment operation. Firetide s two Network Management Systems, HotView and HotView Pro, are used to configure the network and to track performance statistics. They are not performance-critical. However, statistics are not accumulated if an NMS is not running, so in most cases you will want to keep HotView Pro running. Figure 20. HotView Pro Server Architecture HotView is a single-user application, and can be run from any PC. In general, you will want to install HotView even if you are also installing HotView Pro. It is useful as a diagnostic and debug aid, as well as for network operation. You may wish to install it on the laptops of everyone who will maintain HotPort networks. HotView Pro is a client-server application. In a production environment, the server runs continuously and collects performance statistics. Users - one or more - connect to the server to monitor and manage the mesh. It is possible to install both the client and server on the same machine, and this is often done for initial configuration. The server application can be moved to a permanent home later. A typical production deployment shown in Figure 20. The HotVew server application runs 24/7 on the server; clients log in as needed. Note that a single HotView Pro server can manage multiple meshes. HotView client users can connect via a wired or wireless network, or any method that can reach the server. Note that HotView Pro clients log into the server, not to the mesh directly. The HotView Pro server is the entity that logs into the mesh Firetide Mesh HotView Pro Server HotView Pro Client Firetide Mesh Wired Network HotView Pro Client (possible, but not recommended) Firetide Mesh HotView Pro Client HotView Pro Client Firetide offers two client application choices; the stand-alone client, and a browser-based client. In order to support browser operation, the server must have JBOSS and JDK installed. Both are provided as part of the HotView Pro distribution. The installer will automatically configure JBOSS to use port 80 for HTTP, but this can be changed after installation, if desired. If you move it to a different port, insure that the chosen port is open on any firewalls in the path. Firewall Ports If you have a firewall between HotView Pro client and server, or between the mesh itself and either HotView Pro server or HotView, you will need to open certain ports. These are shown in Table 5. Table 5. TCP Ports Used by Firetide Software Path Ports HotView Pro Client to HotView Pro Server HotView Pro Server to Mesh HotView to Mesh Volume 1 Page 40 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

41 PostGreSQL HotView Pro uses PostgreSQL to provide persistent storage of configurations, logs and data. The database is required for networks with more than one mesh, and strongly recommended for smaller networks. HotView Pro can be installed without the database, for testing and configuration, but Firetide recommends you use PostgreSQL in all production deployments. Firetide also suggests you run the database on the same machine as the HotView Pro server. RADIUS HotView Pro uses a RADIUS server to provide authentication services for HotClient nodes. If you have an existing RADIUS server, you can use it, otherwise you may use the FreeRadius server included as part of the standard HotView Pro distribution. Head Nodes and Gateways By definition, the Head Node is the node on each mesh that is in communication with HotView Pro. This is usually the node that is the primary exit point for mesh traffic, as well, but this is not a requirement. You may wish to design a mesh that is optimized to deliver high volume traffic (e.g. video) to one destination, while being managed from a different location. This is entirely possible. You may wish to plan your deployment so that the HotView Pro server has convenient, reliable access to all meshes, even if this is not where system operators are located. Production Deployment and Test Deployments In addition to your production network deployment, you will probably want a test-lab deployment, where nodes can be set up and configured, and problems can be easily resolved on the bench. If you are installing Firetide mesh networking for the first time, Firetide recommends that you set up all the nodes in a room, and install HotPort on a convenient test PC. Perform all of the initial configuration steps, and test the mesh. Then deploy the nodes to their final locations. Installation Accounts HotView Pro creates a.firetide directory in the home folder of the account under which it was installed. The license files, log files, and many other files are kept here. If you log in as another user on the server machine and launch HotView Pro, it will create a new.firetide directory in that account s home folder. This is NOT usually what you want. Therefore, when installing HotView Pro on your production server, create a user account especially for HotView Pro. Do not run it under your ordinary personal user account. Older Versions of HotView Pro You should not uninstall older versions of HotView when installing a new version. If you have existing nodes that you plan to upgrade, you should keep the older version. You must upgrade existing nodes to the new firmware using the older version of HotView. HotView creates a subdirectory called.firetide in the user s home directory. This contains user ids, passwords, license keys, and other installation-specific data. Uninstalling HotView or HotView Pro does NOT remove this directory. In most cases you want to keep it. However, if you need to perform a completely clean installation, you should delete the entire directory. Installation Scenarios Depending on whether you are deploying Firetide s mesh networking for the first time, upgrading an existing HotView v3.x or 4.x network, or upgrading an older HotView network, there are several recommended installation scenarios. Upgrade an Existing 3.x / 4.x Installation Upgrade an Existing 2.7 Installation Firetide recommends that you upgrade the firmware on existing nodes to the most current maintenance release before you switch over to the newer version. Use the firmware upgrade command to do this, as described in Chapter 18. From v3 forward, the AutoMesh protocol is not backwards-compatible with the older routing protocol. If you are deploying Firetide mesh routing for the first time, this is irrelevant. If you are upgrading an existing network, you will need to plan your upgrade strategy. You have two options: You can upgrade all existing nodes to the current release before deploying new nodes. You can run a multiple-mesh network, with some meshes using Release 2.7 nodes and other meshes using Release 3 nodes. The meshes will need to be connected via standard layer three (IP) routing protocols. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 41

42 Server Requirements The HotView Pro network management system (NMS) is intended to run 24/7 in a production environment, and should be installed on a server-class system. Firetide recommends the following minimum hardware. Table 6. HotView Pro Server System Requirements Table 7. HotView Pro Client Requirements Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Linux. Solaris. FreeBSD. Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition, version 1.5 or later. This is available for downloading from JBOSS (supplied as part of the Firetide distribution) J2SE Developer Kit 5.0 or greater (supplied as part of the Firetide distribution) PostgreSQL database engine 2.0 GHz, 100% Pentium 4-compatible processor or later 1 GB of RAM(*) 500 MB of hard disk drive space, plus room for database. 10/100 RJ-45 Ethernet network interface (*) 512MB is sufficient for up to several meshes, depending on total size. Larger installations will see better HotView Pro software performance with more RAM. The client-side application is less demanding, and will run on almost any reasonably current system. Direct client: Windows 2000/XP, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD. Browser-based client: Windows 2000/XP, Linux, Solaris, FreeBSD, Mac OS X 10.3, 10.4 Browsers supported: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla, Safari Java 2 Platform, Standard Edition, version 1.5 or later. Available from GHz, Pentium 4- or M-compatible processor or faster 512 MB of RAM(*) 50 MB of hard disk drive space 10/100 RJ-45 Ethernet network interface, or b/g Support for Virtual OS HotView and HotView Pro may be run on any supported host OS in a virtual-os environment as well. Both programs work under Parallels and VMware Fusion on desktop machines, and under bare-metal hypervisors on server-class machines. Volume 1 Page 42 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

43 Chapter 7 Initial Software Setup Server User Account for Installation HotView Pro creates a.firetide sub-directory in the user directory of the user who installed the Server application. You may wish to log in to your system under an administrative account before installing HotView Pro, since all admin-level users of HotView Pro will need access privileges to this directory. It s common to create an admin-level account specific to Firetide for server installations. Refer tot he appendix on installation for details. Installation cannot be done remotely; you must be logged on to the machine on which the installation is to take place. However, once installation is complete, you can run the mesh from any client which can reach the server. New Installations Whenever you install a Firetide mesh, set up all the nodes in a room, and install HotView on a convenient test PC. Perform all of the initial configuration steps, and test the mesh. Then deploy the nodes to their final locations. General Setup Guidelines HotPort nodes ship with a default IP address, ESSID, RF channel, password, and other parameters. Since you will want to change at least some of these, the most convenient method is to use a test PC for this purpose, configure the nodes, and then deploy them. Almost any recent Windows or Linux computer will work for this purpose. Because of the many different country regulations regarding authorized frequencies and power levels, HotPort nodes ship with the radios set to a very low power setting. The country code must be set before full power (and range) can be achieved. For this reason, you may find it convenient to perform the initial HotPort setup and configuration (called staging ) with all of the nodes in the same room. All of the nodes in a mesh will automatically configure themselves, but only if they are within radio range. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 43

44 HotView Setup Initial mesh configuration requires that you temporarily change the system s IP address to connect to the default address of the HotPort nodes, (Note: if it is not possible to change the system s IP address, you can use HotView on another machine to connect to the mesh and change its IP address.) 1. Refer to the documentation provided with your operating system for instructions on setting up IP addresses and subnet masks. 2. Set up your workstation with the following network parameters: IP address: (or other available address; see Table 4) Subnet mask: It s time to launch the HotView software. Double click on the HotView launcher icon, then refer to the Initial Mesh Configuration section of this manual. HotView Pro Setup HotView Pro requires you to configure the server before using it to connect to a network. Use the server configuration icon to launch the configuration tool. The HotView Server Configuration tool has a screen with multiple tabs. There are several configuration steps which must be performed in order to tell HotView Pro where things are. Note: Once you have installed your permanent license, you cannot revert to use of the temporary license. Also note that when running on the temporary license, you may reboot a node up to 50 times. IP Address Configuration Initial mesh configuration requires that you temporarily change the server s IP address to connect to the default address of the HotPort nodes, (Note: if it is not possible to change the server s IP address, you can use HotView on another machine to connect to the mesh and change its IP address to one compatible with the server.) 1. Refer to the documentation provided with your operating system for instructions on setting up IP addresses and subnet masks. 2. Set up your workstation with the following network parameters: IP address: (or other available address; see Table 4) Subnet mask: Volume 1 Page 44 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

45 Chapter 8 Initial Mesh Setup Connecting to the Mesh - Test Configuration Figure 21. Basic HotView Test Mesh You should test your mesh setup before deploying the equipment. You should begin your setup by unpacking all of your HotPort mesh nodes and setting them on a table. Connect power to all of them. When power is applied to a node, it will take approximately 60 seconds for the node to boot up. On indoor nodes, the Status LED will become steady green at this point. (Note: If you have a mix of new and previously-deployed nodes, use the reset procedure for each unit to return it to its default settings.) Exactly one HotPort node must have a wired connection to the management system in order to perform initial setup. Do not make multiple wired connections yet. All Firetide HotPort nodes are capable of joint configuration; that is, a group of them will all acquire the settings you specify. However, all the units must be able to hear each other in order for this to work. Thus, all units must begin with the same settings. Verify that nodes have meshed. On indoor nodes, the mesh LED will come on. wired network wireless mesh cloud HotView HotPort indoor node HotPort outdoor node HotPort indoor node Before attempting to launch HotView or HotView Pro, confirm that your computer is configured with an IP address on the X/24 subnet. Verify that you can reach the mesh by opening the Windows XP command prompt and pinging IP address If you do not get a response, fix this problem before proceeding. If ping is successful, you can launch either HotView (shown below) or HotView Pro (shown on the next page). HotView Launch HotView, then do the following: Enter the IP address of the mesh. The default is Log in. The initial user account is hv_admin, the initial password is firetide. (If you are upgrading from an earlier HotView release, the user account and password will be whatever you set them to be in that release.) 3. Click on the Login button and wait for your system to connect to the mesh. This may take a few seconds to several minutes. 4. Once connected, the workstation will display the mesh. If the nodes are new or have been reset to factory defaults, you will be prompted to set the country code. DO NOT do this yet; first confirm that all nodes are visible. Note: If you receive the message Login failed, read the next section for possible causes and suggested remedies. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 45

46 HotView Pro To launch the HotView Server, use the Quick Launch icon in the Launcher. Note, click it once. Don t double-click; doing so will attempt to launch the Server application twice, which will generate an error message. Screen 1. HotView Pro Launcher Choices Figure 22. Basic HotView Pro Test Mesh Enter the IP address of the computer you installed the server on. If it is on the local machine, enter Log in. The initial user account is hv_admin, the initial password is firetide. (If you are upgrading from an earlier HotView release, the user account and password will be whatever you set them to be in that release.) 3. Click on the Login button and wait for your system to connect to the mesh. This may take a few seconds to several minutes. 4. Once connected, the workstation will display the mesh. If the nodes are new or have been reset to factory defaults, you will be prompted to set the country code. DO NOT do this yet; first confirm that all nodes are visible. Note: If you receive the message Login failed, read the next section for possible causes and suggested remedies. HotView Pro client wired network wireless mesh cloud HotView Pro server HotPort indoor node HotPort outdoor node HotPort indoor node Volume 1 Page 46 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

47 Possible Causes of Login or Connection Failure Re-verify that you can ping If you can t, fix this problem. The node has not properly reset. If at all possible, include at least one indoor node in your mesh, and use it as the head node initially. Make sure its status LED is green. Then, reset the node (see Chapter 17 for details) and after the status LED has come on again, ping the node. If that works, try logging in. Only one HotView Pro user at a time can log in to the mesh. Another user may be logged in. A new or factory-reset node will automatically join an existing mesh if one is in range. This is a good reason to NOT run your production mesh at the factory defualt settings. New nodes will join it and you will be unable to log in. The login information you entered is incorrect. Re-enter the login information and log in. Ensure that you are using lowercase characters. HotView remembers user logins and mesh logins (see next item) in the.firetide directory of the user s file area. Thus, it will still expect the old user logins and passwords. If this information has been lost, the.firetide directory should be deleted and the software should be re-installed. The mesh network login information may have changed. As noted above, HotView will remember and re-use login information from a previous installation. If you no longer have this information, you can reset all of the HotPort nodes to their default factory settings and start again. Instructions for restoring the default factory settings appear in the user s guide supplied with your HotPort node, and in an appendix to this manual. Web Access isn t working. JBoss wasn t correctly installed, or has not been started on the server. Try connecting using the HotView Pro client. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 47

48 Quick Mesh Check After you log into the mesh, a split screen will appear. The upper portion shows a map of your site layout. (Later sections of this manual will explain how to modify the background image or floor plan.) The lower portion gives a tabular listing of the network inventory. Screen 2. Mesh View If you have brand-new nodes, or factory-reset nodes, you will probably see a dialog box requesting that you set the country code. DO NOT do this yet. Details of this are covered later in this section. In HotView Pro, the upper screen has multiple tabs. The Network View tab shows all of the meshes; each Mesh tabs show one mesh each in more detail. The illustrations below show the Network View for a single-mesh network, and for a three-mesh network. (The mesh icons are standardized, and do not reflect the internal mesh topology.) In HotView, there is only the Mesh view. Before proceeding with the instructions in the rest of this manual, ensure all of your HotPort nodes are visible to HotView Pro. This can be verified on the individual Mesh diagram (see below), or in the Inventory screen, the bottom portion of the mesh view. In particular, check the columns of information described below to ensure that all nodes are included. (If the Inventory screen is not displayed, click on the Inventory tab at the bottom of the screen.) If all of the nodes are not visible, you must resolve this issue first, before proceeding to other configuration options. The reason for this is that the next steps involve changing the mesh-wide settings. Nodes which are not visible on the mesh will not receive mesh updates, and will be lost. If you don t see all the nodes, follow the trouble-shooting tips in Chapter 28. Note that the head node is marked by a small H between the antennas; the node icon in the top right corner will also show this H when the node is selected. In a simple, single-mesh network, the head node is the one connected to the HotView Pro server. In a multiple mesh network, the H mark will be on the node that connects upstream to the HotView Pro Server. Volume 1 Page 48 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

49 Adding New Nodes to an Existing Mesh If you have an existing mesh and wish to add nodes to it, follow these steps: 1. With your old version of HotView or HotView Pro, use the Import Mesh Configuration from this Node command to make a backup copy of your mesh configuration. Do this for each mesh. 2. Upgrade the firmware on all existing nodes, using the new firmware that came with your Firetide software package. Use the OLD version of HotView or HotView Pro to do this. 3. Set up your new nodes as a small mesh. Configure a PC to talk to , and use HotView to apply the saved mesh configuration to the new nodes. 4. You can now use your new version of HotView Pro to connect to your existing mesh. The new nodes should then appear on that existing mesh. Mixed-Node Network Warning If the mesh contains a mix of nodes with different radio types, you will see a warning message. High-power nodes (e.g Series and 3600 Series) are single-band, and the mesh will restrict itself to frequencies in that band. In most cases you can ignore this message; as it is perfectly fine to operate nodes with different radios on the same mesh. Screen 3. Mixed-node Warning Message February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 49

50 Country Codes Important! HotPort units designed for operation on the 4.9 GHz US Public Safety bands may be operated only by FCC-licensed Public Safety agencies. 4.9 GHz-capable PS units are identified by their labelling. Do not turn such units on if you are not a licensed operator. Public Safety units will NOT show a country code screen. HotPort nodes equipped with high-power radios (3500 Series and 3600 Series) are for use in the US only, and are generally illegal for use elsewhere. These units will NOT show a country code screen. Your HotPort mesh nodes must comply with the specific channel limitations, indoor/outdoor restrictions, and license requirements for your country or region. Operating with the wrong settings may result in illegal operation and may cause harmful interference to other systems. To ensure compliance, your mesh nodes must be set with the proper Country Code for your country of operation. You are responsible for setting the correct country code. By default, HotPort units are shipped from the factory with no Country Code selected. Until the Country Code is set, radio settings will be severely restricted. It is illegal to set a country code other than the correct one for the location of that node. Firetide HotPorts are capable of operation on frequencies which are restricted and/or licensed in the US and elsewhere. Setting an improper country code to bypass this can interfere with public safety radio, and result in criminal prosecution. The Country Code settings allow operation at the maximum legal limit for that country; if it is not set, the transmitters operate at very low power defauly settings, and range is limited.. As soon as you set the Country Code, the radios switch to the default radio settings for that country. See Appendix K for specific default settings for each model and country. Setting the Country Code should be the second thing you do when setting up a new HotPort mesh. (The first thing you should do is make sure that all nodes are visible.) Setting the Country Code overwrites all other settings, such as node names, etc., therefore it should be done first. However, because setting the Country Code changes the radio settings, it s important to make sure all nodes are visible before setting the Country Code. Volume 1 Page 50 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

51 Set Country Code If your mesh has nodes which require a contry code setting, and the country code has not yet been set, the Set Country Code message will appear. Screen 4. Setting the Country Code Make sure all nodes are visible on the mesh. Select the proper Country Code from the drop down list. Note that some countries have several codes from which to choose. 3. Click the Set Country Code Now button to set the Country Code for all of the mesh nodes. If you click Set Later, the Set Country Code message will reappear later and the mesh will continue to operate with severe limitations until a Country Code is set. Your distributor or reseller may have already set the proper country code for you. If the Country Code is properly set for all mesh nodes, you do not have to perform these procedures. If the current Country Code is incorrect you will need to reset this parameter for all of the nodes on your mesh. See Changing Country Codes for instructions. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 51

52 Resolving Conflicting Country Codes Screen 5. Comparing Meshes If only some of the mesh nodes have their Country Code set or if the mesh detects multiple Country Codes, the following screen will appear. This screen will indicate the number of different mesh node configurations. If you click on the Compare All button, HotView will display all of the different configurations including their Country Codes. Screen 6. Resolving Conflicting Country Codes 1. Click Compare All to determine which nodes have the correct Country Codes and which ones do not. 2. Click OK to close the screen. 3. Save the configuration of a node that has the proper Country Code to a file and then apply this configuration to the other nodes that do not have this configuration. This procedure is described later in this manual under the heading Updating Node Configurations. Note: If you attempt to make a meshwide configuration change when only some of the mesh nodes have their Country Code set or if the mesh detects multiple Country Codes, the following screen will appear. Click OK to close the screen and follow Step 3 above. Changing Country Codes Begin by resetting the node to the factory default settings. This will clear its Country Code setting Connect the node to a workstation running HotView or HotView Pro. (You will need to set the workstation s IP address.) When the Set Country Code screen appears, select the proper code and click Set Country Code Now. Set all of the other parameters for this node to the proper configuration. Save the configuration of this node to a file and then apply this configuration to the other nodes. This procedure is described later in this manual under the heading Updating Node Configurations. Volume 1 Page 52 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

53 Initial Mesh Configuration Once you have all the nodes visible in HotView Pro, you should perform some basic configuration steps. In general, any Firetide node which has the same settings as an existing mesh will join that mesh. Thus, if you leave the default settings unchanged, any HotPort node can automatically and easily join your mesh. This works, but is a security hole. It is also a maintenance hassle, as any factory-reset node will join that mesh, rather than be ready to accept proper configuration data. Firetide recommends that you change the ESSID and password at a minimum, and we recommend you enable encryption as well. All of the following settings will affect all of the nodes in the mesh, so make sure all nodes are visible on HotView Pro before proceeding. Basic Mesh Parameters There are several mesh parameters which must be specified for correct mesh operation. All HotPort nodes on any given mesh must share the following properties: IP Address The IP address used for net management. Mesh ID A numerical ID number, used by HotView to identify the mesh. Mesh Name A human-friendly name, used by HotView to identify the mesh. ESSID An electronically-broadcast identifier, used by mesh nodes to identify themselves to each other. Radio channel The RF frequency (or frequencies) on which the radio(s) operate. Encryption type and key The encoding used on the radio links. The IP address is the one used for network management, and has nothing to do with the enterprise s overall IP addressing scheme. However, the IP address must be routable through the enterprise s network. The default address assigned by Firetide is The default ESSID is HOTPORT_MESH. You should change it to a more descriptive name. You have a choice of encryption methods. By default, encryption is disabled. Note: In addition to selecting mesh settings commands from the File menu, you can also select most mesh settings commands by right-clicking on a blank area of the mesh diagram. A pop-up menu containing mesh settings commands is displayed. You can also select mesh settings by clicking on the appropriate icons in the toolbar near the top of the screen. IMPORTANT: To ensure the security of your mesh, change the default mesh password and ESSID. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 53

54 Assigning the Mesh IP Address To the outside world, the Firetide mesh is a virtual Ethernet switch with a single IP address for management. The default IP address is set to You should change the IP address of the mesh to another value. When you change the mesh IP address, be sure to set the HotView workstation IP address to the same subnet. Screen 7. Assigning the Mesh IP Address To change the IP Address, select Configure Mesh from the File menu, and enter the new IP address values. You should also assign a Mesh ID. This can be any value from 1 to 254. (Zero is reserved.) Each mesh should have a unique ID. You can assign a Mesh Name as well, for management purposes. Note that this is NOT the ESSID of the mesh, but rather the name used for management and errorlogging purposes. Note: Changing the IP settings will cause the HotPort nodes to reboot. This will interrupt mesh operation for approximately one minute until the new settings are loaded into all of the HotPort nodes. You will receive a warning message when the reboot begins. If you are changing the subnet, you can use this time to reconfigure the IP settings on your PC, and restart HotView Pro. Note: If one or more nodes are down when you change the mesh IP address, HotView will notify you of this. Volume 1 Page 54 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

55 Setting the RF Channel, Radio Mode, and ESSID All HotPort nodes on the mesh share the same ESSID and radio channel. This makes it easy to manage large mesh networks, or create multiple mesh networks in close proximity to one another as separate domains. The default ESSID is HOTPORT_MESH, the default radio mode depends on the Country Code setting. However, you should change these parameters to avoid conflicts with other networks or devices, and to enhance security. You can change the ESSID by selecting the Wireless tab under the Mesh Configuration command. ESSIDs may have up to 32 alphnumeric characters. Radio settings are selectable in the drop-down menus. Radio Mode Series 6000 nodes can operate their radio in either of two modes, bonded or linear. Linear is often referred to as Auto-Channel Assignment (ACA), although you can manually assign channels if you prefer. Radio Channel Selection Guidelines In bonded mode, you simply pick two channels, one for each radio. Bonded mode works well in meshes where most nodes can hear each other, but in general, linear mode is preferred. Linear (ACA) mode delivers better throughput in sparsely-meshed, multi-hop applications. The 2.4 GHz b/g band used for wireless access offers only three non-overlapping channels, 1, 6, and 11. For best results, the Firetide mesh should not use the same radio channel number as any wireless access points connected to or operating near the mesh. If your environment needs to support b/g clients and access points (or if it needs to operate where such equipment is in use), it s best leave as many of these channels open as possible. Thus you must run your Firetide mesh in the 5 GHz band, or reserve two channels for b/g APs and assign the third to the Firetide mesh network, or vice versa. Series 6000 nodes have dual radios. You should run at least one of the radios in the 5 GHz band. The second radio can be run in the 2.4 GHz band if channel space is available, or in the 5 GHz band. Selecting Channels In bonded mode, you will be presented with a list of channels, and you can explicitly assign a channel to each radio. In linear mode, you must first run the Auto-Channel Assignment algorithm. You can then go to individual nodes and re-assign radios to other channels. Details on ACA are covered in the following pages. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 55

56 Setting the Radio Channels - Series 6000 Screen 8. Series 6000 Wireless Settings - Bonded Mode Series 6000 nodes can be operated in either bonded mode or Auto-Channel Assigment (Linear Full-duplex) mode. The advantages and applications of each oare covered in more detail elsewhere. When configuring a Series 6000 mesh, the wireless tab will look like Screens 8 and 9. Screen 9. Series 6000 Wireless Settings - Linear Mode Volume 1 Page 56 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

57 Mesh Channel Assignment Optimization Screen 10. Specifying Mesh Optimization Goals Before the mesh begins its automatic channel-assignment algorithm, you can help it out by indication which nodes are the most performance critical. Typically these are the exit-point nodes. Use the Optimization screen to specify these. Screen 11. Advisory on Auto-Channel Assignment Before the algorithm begins execution, you will see the following warning message: Overriding Automatic Channel Assignment Screen 12. Overriding Automatic Channel Assignments If necessary, you can override the automatic channel assignment for Series 6000 nodes. Right-click on an individual node, and change the channel as required. Use caution when doing this; if you pick a channel that has external interference, you may cause the node to go off the mesh. Locking Channel Assignments After initial setup, if an individual Series 6000 node is lost to the mesh due to RF problems, the other nodes will attempt to recover and and re-allocate channel assignments. In some cases this may not be desirable. To prevent it, set the Channel Lock tick-box. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 57

58 Setting the Radio Channels - Series 3000 Series 3000 channel assignment is straightforward. Pick one. Screen 13. Setting the Radio Volume 1 Page 58 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

59 DFS - Dynamic Frequency Selection Screen 14. Wireless Channel Selection - non-dfs HotPort nodes support DFS in countries where it is required. DFS channels are indicated by a DFS symbol next to the channel number. If a DFS channel is chosen, the HotPort nodes will listen for other activity on the channel. If any node finds activity, the entire mesh will automatically switch to another channel. The mesh will indicate this in three ways: The Channel Display always shows the actual operating channel, not the chosen channel. (See screen on previous page.) In Mesh View, the HotPort node which detects activity will change in the node display, and a small radar-dish icon will appear. In Network View, the radar-dish icon will appear in the mesh cloud icon. Note that Series 6000 nodes support a disable-dfs feature, refer to Screen 9 for an example. Screen 15. DFS Alert in Mesh View February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 59

60 Changing Radio Security Settings - Encryption Screen 16. Specifying Radio Encryption The Firetide mesh offers two levels of security. You can encrypt the radio links, and you can also encrypt end-to-end. Radio link encryption offers aa choice of WEP-64, WEP-128, or 256-ibt WPA2 (AES) encryption, with Pre-Shared Keys. WPA2 specifies 256-bit AES for the encrption method, replacing the RC-4 algorithm used in earlier security standards. End-to-end encryption choices include 128-bit and 256-bit AES encryption. Use of either encryption does not slow throughput. To set encryption, click on the File menu and select Configure Mesh. A dialog box appears. Enter the required data. If you selected 104/128-bit encryption, enter 26 hexadecimal characters for the key; if you selected 40/64-bit encryption, enter 10 hexadecimal characters. Valid characters for all keys are hex digits, numerals 0 through 9 and letters a through f. Note: For added security, the key you enter is replaced by asterisks on screen after you save it. Volume 1 Page 60 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

61 Section II HotPort Mesh Node Command Reference This section provides an overview of HotView and HotView Pro, and describes the commands and operations you will use when configuring you HotPort mesh. Commands for Firetide s HotPoint APs, other APs, HotClient CPE, and Mobility Controller can be found in later sections of this manual. HotView Pro vs HotView HotView Pro is Firetide s general-purpose management tool, and support all Firetide products and features. HotView is a limited-feature setup tool, intended for very small meshes and for test and debug on individual nodes. This manual describes HotView Pro. For the subset of commands supported by HotView, command operation is the same. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 61

62 Chapter 9 Getting Familiar with HotView Pro Initial Launch The very first time you launch HotView Pro after a new installation, you will see some warning messages. If you see the messages now when launching, refer to the Appendix section on software installation to understand how to resolve these warnings. The HotView Screen A typical HotView screen looks something like Screen 17. Command menus are along the top. Just below are command icons, and below that is a series of tabs which selects from among the various views. A second series of tabs appears near the bottom; this selects from a number of different views of tabular data, such as node names, performance status, and other related information. Screen 17. HotView Screen (Note that your screen may look different, depending on your mesh configuration and the display options you ve chosen.) Changing the Default View You can use commands under the Options menu to change the default view, as shown in Screen 18. Use the Options menu to turn off the background image and turn on the Show Information Bar, on the right. (Later you ll learn how to add your own background image.) Screen 18. HotView Pro Options Menu Volume 1 Page 62 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

63 Screen 19. Show Information Panel The Show Information Bar is quite useful when you are first setting up your mesh. Some users prefer to leave it off when working with large meshes. The same information is available by rightclicking on a mesh node, but for now turn the panel on before proceeding. The information panel is available both in network view (shown) and mesh view. Screen 20. Explorer View Example You can also show, or hide, the Explorer View, as shown in Screen 20. This vide mode is especially useful when you are managing a mix of Firetide equipment. Note that Explorer View is available from network view as well as mesh view (shown.) February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 63

64 Display Control Commands In addition the the commands described above, there are toolbar icons which adjust the appearance of the GUI. They are listed in Table 8. Table 8. Toolbar Icons Icon Usage/Function To zoom in on a selected region in the mesh diagram, click on this icon, click and drag with the mouse across the mesh diagram to indicate the region of interest, and then click the mouse button. Zoom in by a 1.2 zoom factor Zoom out by a factor of 0.8 Scroll to the right Scroll to the left Scroll up Scroll down Display the original, overall view Volume 1 Page 64 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

65 Understanding the HotView Pro Screen Structure Screen. Annoted View of Typical HotView Pro Screen Menu Bar Command Icons View Tabs Selected Node Icon Explorer View Pane Information View Tabs Information View Pane Status View Tabs Status View Pane Status Message It s important to understand where everything is on the HotView screen. Menus are displayed along the top of the screen in the usual manner. Below that, icons offer another way to access commonlyused commands. The third method of accessing HotView Pro commands is by right-clicking on a node, or on the mesh as a whole. Node Status Icon The status information about individual nodes appears in a node status icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. To display this status information, click on a node in the mesh diagram. Types of Nodes Different types of nodes have different icons, as shown by these examples: Series 6000 dual-radio indoor node Series 6000 single-radio outdoor node Series 4000 Access Point - Stand-alone Series 4000 Access Point - Attached to HotPort Series 3000 node February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 65

66 Table 9. Ethernet Port Status Information Some nodes have visual indication of Ethernet port status. Letter meanings are given in Table 9. Color Green Cyan Yellow Gray Meaning Port is enabled and connected at 100 Mbps. Port is enabled and connected at 10 Mbps. Identifies enabled but unconnected ports. Identifies ports that are disabled or not available. Table 10. Node Letter-Code Information Some nodes will have a small letter between the antennas. Letter meanings are given in Table 10. Note that a node may have more than one letter. ID SW X H B S A Description Indicates a software error. Yellow indicates a minor error; red indicates a major error. Indicates a radio error. Yellow indicates a minor error; red indicates a major error. Identifies the node as a head node. A head node is a node connected to a workstation running the HotView Pro software. In a simple mesh, the Head Node is the one connected to the HotView Pro server. In complex multi-mesh systems, the Head Node is the node furthest upstream, i.e. the point on the mesh that leads to the server. Thus, a MeshBridge node or Gateway Server Node may be a Head Node. All nodes in a mesh take their configuration from their Head Node. Identifies the node as supporting a Mesh Bridge connection to another mesh. Indicates the node is a Gateway Server Node. Indicated the node is supporting an Integrated Access Point Volume 1 Page 66 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

67 Chapter 10 Mesh and Node Menu Commands Screen 21. File Menu Commands This chapter describes the menu commands as they appear when working with HotPort mesh nodes. Some menus will change slightly when you are viewing HotPoints or other Firetide products. Please refer to the section on those products for details. File Menu The File menu offers the commands shown in Screen 21. Many of these commands can also be invoked via the toolbar; where this is the case, the icon is shown next to the command description. Configure Mesh VLANs Gateway Groups Multicast Groups Mesh Bridge Groups MAC Filters Ethernet Direct Configure Mesh opens a dialog box with multiple tabs. In it, you can specifc the Mesh ID, IP address, ESSID, and most other mesh-wide parameters. Refer to Chapter 12 for details This command is used to configure VLANs. VLAN - Virtual LAN - allows you to subdivide your mesh. A Firetide mesh is functionally equivalent to an Ethernet switch. By subdividing the switch, you can isolate one group of ports from other ports. This is most commonly used allow one group of ports to enjoy higher-priority service, but can also be used to enhance security. Refer to Chapter 23 for complete details. A Firetide mesh can be simply plugged into the wired network backbone of your enterprise, but this does not provide redundancy in the event the connected node is down. Gateways can be configured so that there are multiple connections from the wireless mesh to the wired backbone, without creating routing loops or other problems. Refer to Chapter 20 for details. Normally, multicast packets propagate throughout an Ethernet network. In some applications, it may be desireable to limit their propagation to a specific mesh or group of meshes. This command can be used to do accomplish this. A Mesh Bridge is a connection between two meshes. In some applications, you may want multiple Mesh Bridge connections; these are called Mesh Bridge Groups. Refer to Chapter 21 for details. MAC (Address) Filtering is used in certain high-security applications to limit physical connectivity to the mesh. When this feature is used, only explicitly-permitted MAC addresses can transit the mesh. Note that this is not completely foolproof; it is possible to spoof a MAC address, thus a determined intruder may still be able to transit your mesh if given physical access to a node. An Ethernet Direct connection is a wired connection within a single mesh. Wireless links are fast, but wired links are faster. In some cases, overall mesh throughput can be dramatically increased if a heavily-loaded link is replaced with a wired connection. Refer to Chapter 22 for details. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 67

68 Static Routes A Firetide Mesh automatically builds its own path table for moving packets across the mesh. Note that because the mesh functions as an Ethernet switch, it operates below the IP layer and does not care what IP addressing scheme is in use. In most cases, performance is best if the mesh selects in own routes, but in some cases you may want to manually specify a route for some traffic. Link Elimination Occasionally, two nodes will be an the extreme range for reliable radio reception, and thus their ability to communicate will vary. Because other paths exist within the mesh, it can be desirable to tell the mesh to eliminate the marginal link, so that the mesh does not spend time attempting to use a link which is going up and down. (This condition is called link flap.) Apply Saved Mesh Configuration (to the entire mesh) This command is related to the import/apply mesh configuration command used on individual nodes. (Covered in a later section.) To import a mesh configuration (from a node) is to save a copy of it as a file on the HotView Pro NMS. Once saved, that file can be applied to an individual node or an entire mesh. This is commonly done as a backup and restoration maintenance tool. Upgrade Software This command allows you to upgrade the firmware on the mesh nodes. Reboot Mesh This command reboots the entire mesh. Mesh configuration settings are not affected. (A node s mesh configration settings can only be reset to factory defaults by performing a factory reset operation on the mesh.) Delete Down Nodes HotView Pro normally remembers meshes and nodes it has seen; this is useful for system maintenance because it allows HotView Pro to issue a warning when a node or mesh is missing. if you remove a node from the mesh, you can use the Delete Down Nodes command to remove the node from HotView Pro. (Note: entire meshes can be removed by deleting them from the Mesh tab, in the Configure HotView Server command.) Delete Down Mobile Nodes As above, but it only deletes down mobile nodes. Delete Down APs As above, but it only deleted down Firetide Access Points Clear Access Points Cache Clears the Access Point cache. Add Mesh Adds a new mesh to HotView Pro Add Controller Adds a Controller to HotView Pro. Controllers manage roaming and mobility across meshes. Configure HotView Server Brings up the Configure HotView Server dialog, which contains multiple tabs. Note: this is the same as the Configure Server option available in the Integrated HotView Launcher. Broadcast Group Configuration Configures a broadcast (packet) group. Greyed out, as shown, until configured via the File menu in the Network View tab. HotPort Users Configuration Allows you to manage user IDs of individual meshes. Exit Quits the HotView or HotView Pro client application. It does NOT terminate the HotView Pro server application. Detailed Descriptions of how to use the above commands can be found in the How-to section of this Reference Guide. Access Point Menu The Access Point Menu is covered in Section V, Access Points. Controller Menu The Controller Menu is covered in Section VII, Mobility. CPE Menu The CPE menu is covered in Section VI, CPE. Policy Manager Menu The Policy Manager functions are also covered in Section VI. Volume 1 Page 68 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

69 Screen 22.Certificate Menu Certificate Menu You can configure your mesh such that HotView will only accept nodes which contain digitallysigned certificates. This is a security defense against counterfeit or Trojan Horse nodes. Note that you can also configure nodes such that they will only accept upgrades (firmware loads) from verified sources. This also provides a defense against hackers. Note that secure operation must be enable in the Mesh Configuration for this to take effect. Screen 23. Configuration Menu Configuration Tools Menu The Configuration Menu provides access to several multi-node mesh configuration commands. Optimize Channel Assignment Series 6000 nodes have two radios. When configured in Auto-channel Assignment mode, HotView supports a mode wherein the nodes will negotiate among themselves to determine channel assignments which give the best overall coverage and throughput. You have control over the range of channels from which the nodes can select. Update Mobile Node Scan List Scans and reports all mobile nodes currently visible on the mesh. Screen 24. Multi-Node Radio Settings Multi-Node Radio Settings Tool Fixed frequencies can be applied to a subset of nodes if any node from this subset has an ethernet direct connection to a non-subset node or if the second radio uses the default assignment. Use this panel to assign channel settings to multiple nodes at one time. Use the node-specific Radio Settings window to view existing settings. Multi-Node VLAN Settings This command can be used to assign certain VLAN properties to a group of nodes at one time. Refer to the VLAN How-to section for details on setting up VLANs. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 69

70 Screen 25. Monitor Menu Monitor Menu The Monitor Menu is the primary point for access to performance and statistics commands of all types. Theses commands are shown in Screen 25. Graph Statistics Displays a graph of accumulated statistics. This will be greyed out, as shown, if no database has been configured. Set Statistics Refresh Interval Gathering statistics over a very large mesh increases the total traffic load. This command allows you to specify how often statistics are collected from nodes and meshes. It s common practice to set a fairly short interval when setting up a new mesh, so that problems can be identified, but then to increase the interval once performance has been established. View HotClients Shows the status of all active HotClients. Refer to the Hot Client section of this manual for details View Faults Log Display the log of faults. View AP Log Display the access point log. View Rogue AP Lists Displays a list of any rogue APs that have been detected. Alarm Notification Lets you specify addresses to which alarm notifications will be sent. View Controller Logs Displays the log of the HotSwitch, also known as the Controller. Refer to the section on Mobility for details of Controller operation. View Channel Assignment Results This displays the result of the auto-channel assignment command, and shows the radio channels assigned to each radio in each node. Screen 26. Verify Menu Verify The Verify menu lets you perform a check on the consistency of settings across your mesh. While in an ideal world, settings would never become non-consistent, it can happen. These commands allow you to detect and correct the condition. Verify Mesh Configuration Verifies all settings across the selected mesh. Verify VAP Group Configuration Verifies all settings across the selected virtual access point group. Note that Firetide HotPoint APs support multiple virtual access points per physical unit. Since not all virtual APs need be implemented on all physical access points, it makes more sense to conduct consistency checks at the virtual level. Volume 1 Page 70 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

71 Screen 27. Options Menu Options The options menu controls the appearance of the HotView Pro user interface. Show All Links Normally on, this can be turned off when viewing large meshes, where the sheer number of link lines can obscure other information. Show Links only for Selected HotPort Usually used when Show Al Links is disabled, so that links of interest appear. Hide all Links Hides all links. Select a new Background Image Default Background Image Show Background Image These three commands can be used to place a background image (.gif) behind the mesh area of the display. Typically this image represents a map or flooplan of the installation, so that nodes can be located in their correct geographical locations. Select HotPorts automatically on mouse-over Normally off, thus an explicit click is required. Enabling this highlights that node, and more importantly the links to that node, so that it stands out from the others. Show Information Bar Shows the information panel on the right side of the screen. Normally off, but should be on when setting up and troubleshooting a network. Show Explorer Bar Shows Explorer panel on left side of screen. This is especially useful when managing a mixed mesh of nodes, APs, controllers, etc. Show Model Number Displays the model number (e.g. 6202) of the node, along with the name. Show HotPort IP Address Externally, a Firetide mesh is a pure layer-2 device, and does not care about IP address assignments. Each mesh has a single IP address used for management. Internally, the nodes in a mesh use an IP-like identifier to distinguish individual devices. These identifiers are invisible to the outside world. For example, they cannot be pinged. They are useful only for certain testing operations. When testing mesh performance, you may need to refer to individual nodes. This command is used to display the mesh endpoint identifiers. Show APs Shows access points connected to the mesh. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 71

72 Screen 28. License Menu License Menu The License Menu allows you to check the number, type, and status of licenses for HotView Pro, HotPoints, The Firetide Mobility Controller, the Firetide WLAN Controller Screen 29. License Info Screen Screen 30. HotPoint License Info Screen Screen 31. Help Menu Help The Help Menu allows you to view the exact version and build of your HotView or HotView Pro program. Online help is not available at this time, but there is an excellent reference guide which explains all aspects of HotView Pro operation. A copy can be found on the CD, or it can be obtained from Firetide. Screen 32. The About Screen Volume 1 Page 72 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

73 Chapter 11 Mesh and Node Right-Click Commands In additition to the menu commands, many of the most-commonly used mesh and node commands are available by right-clicking. Node commands are accessed by right-clicking on the node; mesh commands are accessed by right-click in the gray area, i.e. not on any particular node. Screen 33. Mesh Right-Click - Full Screen View Mesh Right-Click Right-clicking a mesh, in Network View, brings up a menu with five commands. Screen 34. Mesh Right-Click Commands The available commands are shown in Screen 34. Jump to Mesh Tab This command switches the view to the (detailed) mesh view for that mesh. It is particularly useful when you have a large number of meshes. Release Write Access It is possible to configure a complex mesh with more than one HotView NMS. Normally, the first instance of HotView to connect to the mesh owns the mesh and will block others form read (though not write) access. This command can be used to release such a block. Move Mesh This command allows you to physically shift the position of the mesh icon on the screen. It does not in any way have anything to do with actually moving meshes or nodes. Logout of Mesh Disconnects HotView Pro from that mesh. You can also log out of a mesh my right-clicking on that mesh s tab. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 73

74 Mesh Summary Displays a table of mesh information. See Screen 35. Screen 35. Mesh Summary Data Mesh ID Mesh Name IP Address/Mask/Gateway ESSID Radio Operation Wireless Security End-to-End Security Multi-hop Optimization RSSI Threshold Hysteresis Window Extended Range Wireless CoS Congestion Control Reserved MACs Specifies the ID number assigned to the mesh. Displays the mesh s name. Displays the IP address/mask/gateway assigned to the mesh. Displays the Extended Server Set Identifier defined for the mesh. Displays the wireless radio mode used by the mesh. Displays the type of security in use on the radio links, or disabled if no security is in use. Displays theytype of security in use elsewhere in the mesh (e.g. an Ethernet Direct link), or disabled if no security is in use. Its use enhances performance in non-fully-meshed networks. Limit at which a remote node s signal is judged too weak to use. The amount the signal must come up past the RSSI threshold. Indicates whether an Extended Range setting is in use. Shows whether Class-of-Service is enabled across wireless links. Indicates whether the Congestion Control feature has been enabled. Indicates use of MAC address-based controls. Interoperability Indicates whether the mesh has been configured to interoperate Series 3000 and Series 6000 nodes. Country Code The currently-set country code. Volume 1 Page 74 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

75 Node Right-Click In Mesh View, right-clicking on a node brings up the node commands, as shown in Screen 36. (Right-clicking NOT on a node brings up the mesh commands, as shown in Screen 33.) Screen 36. Node Right-Click - Full Screen View Screen 37. Node Right-Click Commands The available commands are shown in Screen 37. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 75

76 Screen 38. Renaming a HotPort Node Rename HotPort Allows you to name the HotPort. The factory default name for a HotPort node is based on the model number. Use a descriptive name; you may also want to keep the last three digits of the serial number as a part of the name. This makes it easier for field service personnel to know that a given physical unit is the one seen on screen. Screen 39. Adding Location Information HotPort Location Allows you to add a longer secondary identification string, typically a location. This string does not appear in the main screen, but will appear in the tabular listing at the bottom of the string. Use this option to enter any unique identifying information about the HotPort node, such as its location, a contact person s phone number, and so on. HotPort Type Allows you to specify whether the HotPort is a fixed or mobile HotPort. The Firetide Mesh network auto-configures, and will automatically track nodes which move occasionally. However, by specifying a node as mobile, the mesh will more quickly track rapid node movement, such as in a car or airplane. Hybrid Trunk Configuration Normally a VLAN trunk must be either tagged or untagged. The Hybrid Trunk Configuration command allows you to configure a trunk that can support both. Screen 40. Port Configuration Port Configuration Allows you to set the wired-ethernet port type for the physical ports on the node. You can set speed and half vs full-duplex. Most importantly, you can disable ports, to help block unauthorized access. Note: there are dozens of Ethernet chip-set vendors; as a result port auto-negotiation is not always a perfectly reliable process. If you experience intermittant drop-outs, and you are sure of the speed of the connected equipment, you may wish to disable auto-negotiation. Volume 1 Page 76 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

77 Screen 41. Per-Node Radio Settings Radio Settings Allows you to control certain node-specific radio settings. Note that most radio settings are meshwide, and are found under the Configure Mesh command. Antenna Selection and Power Levels HotPort nodes can be configured with various external antennas. High gain, sector, Yagi, and panel antennas are available. You must ensure that your choice of antenna and power level is legal for use in your country. In some cases, it may be necessary to reduce transmit power. It is the installer s/operator s responsibility to adjust the output power to the correct level for the chosen antenna. These levels vary for different frequency bands and countries. The following formula should be used to determine the effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP) for a HotPort node: EIRP (dbm) = Antenna Gain (dbi) RF Cable Loss (db) + MAX TX Power Where: MAX TX Power is in dbm RF cable loss is the loss in db on the coax cable connecting the 3203 to the antenna The standard 1.5 meter LMR400 RF cable supplied with certain HotPort nodes has 0.55 db of loss in the 2.4 GHz band. At 5.2 GHz, loss is 0.6 db, rising to 1.1 db at 5.8 GHz. If the calculated EIRP is greater than the regulatory limit, than the operator must reduce the TX power by an equal or greater amount in db. This is accomplished by using the Change Transmit Power command. The TX power can be adjusted on a node by node basis using HotView Pro. The TX power control is displayed in %. Use Table 11 to determine the % to db attenuation conversion. Table 11. TX Power Attenuation TX Power Level 100% 90% 85% 75% 70% 60% 55% 50% 40% 30% 25% TX Attenuation 0 db 2 db 3 db 5 db 6 db 8 db 9 db 10 db 12 db 14 db 15 db February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 77

78 Antenna Diversity Some Firetide nodes offer antenna diversity. This includes all Series 3000 nodes and the HotPort 6101 and 6201 single-radio nodes. With diversity, each radio uses a single antenna for transmission, but two antennas for reception. Normally the choice of receiving antennas is automatic, but it can be overridden. If you install a diversity-capable node with only one antenna, turn diversity off. Screen 42. Setting Antenna Diversity and TX Power Note: your screen may vary depending on the HotPort model you are accessing. Screen 42 shows the node radio settings for a Series 3000 node. Volume 1 Page 78 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

79 Screen 43. Node QoS Node QoS Allows you to specify Quality of Service for that node. Note that Mesh QoS must first be enabled, using the Configure Mesh command. You can assign priority settings either to specific Ethernet ports, or based on 802.1p levels.this feature is useful for assigning priorities to ports associated with certain applications. For example, if a certain port is used for Voice over IP or other traffic requiring a low latency, you might want to assign the port a higher priority. Quality-of-Service can be combined with VLANs to provide dedicated, prioritized bandwidth for VoIP applications. For example, connect all VoIP equipment to a specific port (e.g., 2), and assign that port a high priority; then configure a VLAN among these ports. Two types of Node QoS are available. Standards-compliant p is supported. For attached equipment which does not implement QoS (e.g. many cameras) QoS can be assigned per Ethernet port. In this case all traffic arriving on that port has that QoS associated with it. Screen 44. Basic QoS Settings Setting QoS First, use the Mesh Configuration command to enable mesh-wide QoS. Then use the QoS command, under Node Commands, to select the desired QoS configuration. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 79

80 Statistics This displays a window with detailed statistics for the selected node, as shown in Screen. Note that this panel offers more detail than the summary statistics normally shown at the bottom of the screen. Screen 45. Statistics Window Further information on interpreting and applying the results can be found in the Optimizing Performance section. You can click on the Refresh button to force a refresh. This is a useful technique for monitoring RSSI levels when aiming directional antennas. Volume 1 Page 80 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

81 Reboot HotPort Reboots, the node, but does not alter settings. Move HotPort Allows you to adjust the location of the icon on the screen. Third Party Access Point Configuration Allows you to specify that a non-firetide access point is connected to the node. Refer to the Access Point section for details on how to configure a node for third-party access point support. Disable Integrated Access Points Mesh nodes run a discovery protocol to find connected APs. This protocol will find any AP that is on the same Ethernet as the mesh node. In other words, if you have several APs plugged into an Ethernet switch, and you connect a mesh node to the switch, the mesh node will discover the APs. If you don t want this to occur, use this command to dis-associate the APs. Configure this node as a Gateway Server node Takes the node off the air and makes it a special management node for Gateways. Refer to the Hotto section on Gateway Groups for details. Gateway Interface Allows you to define the setting for a Gateway Group. Refresh configuration for this HotPort Attempt to recover neighbor nodes Upgrade incompatible neighbor nodes Verfies that HotView and the node agree on the node s configuration. As the name suggests, this command will cause the node to listen for, and attempt to contact, any other Firetide node within radio range. When executed from a nearby node, this can often recover a node which has fallen off the mesh due to interference or other transient problems. Note: when a node is attempting to recover a neighbor node, it will stop other functioning; thus, you should NOT run this command on a node which is carrying critical traffic. This command can be used to update firmware on a node which can no longer join the mesh, due to a firmware incompatibility. This can happen when upgrading firmware on a mesh. If a node falls off the mesh, select a nearby good node and run this command. This command will be grayed out when it is not applicable. Note: when a node is attempting to recover a neighbor node, it will stop other functioning; thus, you should NOT run this command on a node which is carrying critical traffic. Delete this HotPort Removes the (down) node from HotView. Import Mesh Configuration from this HotPort Apply saved Mesh Configuration to this HotPort Copies the complete mesh configuration database to a file, which you can store on the server or any other PC. Applies a file produced by the above command to a node. Together, these tow commands are the backup-and-restore procedure for the mesh. You can use them to configure a node to join a mesh before that node is physically deployed to its location. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 81

82 Screen 46. Node Right-Click Summary Data - Series 6000 and Series 3000 Node Summary The Node Summary gives details about the selected node. HotPort Name Displays the name assigned to the node. Serial Number Displays the node s serial number. IP Address Shows the internal, hidden, node identifier. This is not a routable or visible IP address. Model Number Displays the type of node. Port 1:4 MAC Addresses Displays the MAC addresses of the wired ports of the node s built-in Ethernet switch. Radio 1,2 Operating Channel Displays the current channel and frequency of the radio. Radio 1,2 MAC Address Displays the MAC address for the node s radio. Radio 1,2 Type Indicates a, b, or g. Radio 1,2 Active Antenna Indicates whether antenna diversity is enabled, and if so which antenna is in use. Radio 1,2 Transmit Power Displays the radio s current transmit power level setting (in dbm). QoS Indicates the type of QoS enabled. Node Status Indicates whether the node is up or down. Channel Assignment Status (Series 6000 only) Shows the current status of the channel-assignment algorithm. Volume 1 Page 82 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

83 HotPort Type Foreign Mesh ID VLANs Gateway Groups Multicast Groups Mesh Bridge Groups States whether a node is static or mobile. XXX Shows the VLAN to which the node is assigned. If the node is not assigned to a VLAN, none is displayed. Shows the Gateway Group to which the node is assigned. If the node is not assigned to a Gateway Group, none is displayed. Lists the names of multicast groups that the node belongs to. Lists the names of bridge groups that the node belongs to. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 83

84 Chapter 12 Mesh Configuration Command Reference Screen 47. Assigning the Mesh Network Parameters The Mesh Configuration command opens a window with a number of tabs. Contained therein are most of the commands you will need to configure individual meshes. This chapter provides a reference to available commands and options. Mesh Configuration - Network Tab The Network tab is where you determine how the mesh is identified to the wired world. This includes the official Mesh ID, the mesh s management IP address, and a name you can assign to make it easy for administators to understand the mesh s purpose or location. (This name is NOT the ES- SID.) Mesh ID You must assign a Mesh ID. This can be any value from 1 to 99. (Zero is reserved.) Each mesh MUST have a unique ID. Mesh Name You can assign a Mesh Name as well, for management purposes. Note that this is NOT the ESSID of the mesh, but rather the name used for management and error-logging purposes. Mesh IP To the outside world, the Firetide mesh is a virtual Ethernet switch with a single IP address for management. The default IP address is set to You should change the IP address of the mesh to another value. When you change the mesh IP address, be sure to set the HotView workstation IP address to the same subnet. Note: Changing the IP settings will cause the HotPort nodes to reboot. This will interrupt mesh operation for approximately one minute until the new settings are loaded into all of the HotPort nodes. You will receive a warning message when the reboot begins. If you are changing the subnet, you can use this time to reconfigure the IP settings on your PC, and restart HotView Pro. Note: If one or more nodes are down when you change the mesh IP address, HotView will notify you of this. Volume 1 Page 84 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

85 Screen 48. Series 6000 Wireless Settings - Bonded Mode Mesh Configuration - Wireless Tab This tab allows you to specify the ESSID and the RF channel(s) and radio mode. Series 6000 nodes have two radios (there is a single-radio option) and you have a choice of operation modes. Setting the ESSID All HotPort nodes on the mesh share the same ESSID. The default ESSID is HOTPORT_MESH. However, you should change this to avoid conflicts with other networks or devices, and to enhance security. ESSIDs may have up to 32 alphnumeric characters. Radio settings are selectable in the drop-down menus. You can encrypt the ESSID if desired. Setting the Radio Channels - Series 6000 Radio Channel Selection Guidelines Series 6000 nodes can operate their radio in either of two modes, bonded or channel-assignment. In bonded mode, you simply pick two channels, one for each radio. Bonded mode works well in meshes where most nodes can hear each other, but in general, linear mode is preferred. In almost all cases, you should deply initially with bondedn mode, then customize if required. The 2.4 GHz b/g band used for wireless access offers only three non-overlapping channels, 1, 6, and 11. For best results, the Firetide mesh should not use the same radio channel number as any wireless access points connected to or operating near the mesh. If your environment needs to support b/g clients and access points (or if it needs to operate where such equipment is in use), it s best leave as many of these channels open as possible. Thus you must run your Firetide mesh in the 5 GHz band, or reserve two channels for b/g APs and assign the third to the Firetide mesh network, or vice versa. You should run at least one of the Series 6000 nodes radios in the 5 GHz band. The second radio can be run in the 2.4 GHz band if channel space is available, or in the 5 GHz band. Selecting Channels In bonded mode, you will be presented with a list of channels, and you can explicitly assign a channel to each radio. In channel-assignment mode, you must first run the Auto-Channel Assignment algorithm. You can then go to individual nodes and re-assign radios to other channels. Details on ACA are covered on the next page. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 85

86 Screen 49. Series 6000 Wireless Settings - Channel Assignment Mode Mesh Channel Assignment Optimization Screen 50. Specifying Mesh Optimization Goals Before the mesh begins its automatic channel-assignment algorithm, you can help it out by indication which nodes are the most performance critical. Typically these are the exit-point nodes. Use the Optimization screen to specify these. Screen 51. Advisory on Auto-Channel Assignment Before the algorithm begins execution, you will see the following warning message: Volume 1 Page 86 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

87 Screen 52. Overriding Automatic Channel Assignments Overriding Automatic Channel Assignment If necessary, you can override the automatic channel assignment for Series 6000 nodes. Right-click on an individual node, and change the channel as required. Use caution when doing this; if you pick a channel that has external interference, you may cause the node to go off the mesh. Locking Channel Assignments After initial setup, if an individual Series 6000 node is lost to the mesh due to RF problems, the other nodes will attempt to recover and and re-allocate channel assignments. In some cases this may not be desirable. To prevent it, set the Channel Lock tick-box. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 87

88 DFS - Dynamic Frequency Selection HotPort nodes support DFS in countries where it is required. DFS channels are indicated by a DFS symbol next to the channel number. If a DFS channel is chosen, the HotPort nodes will listen for other activity on the channel. If any node finds activity, the entire mesh will automatically switch to another channel. The mesh will indicate this in three ways: The Channel Display always shows the actual operating channel, not the chosen channel. (See screen on previous page.) In Mesh View, the HotPort node which detects activity will change in the node display, and a small radar-dish icon will appear. In Network View, the radar-dish icon will appear in the mesh cloud icon. Screen 53. Wireless Channel - non-dfs Screen 54. DFS Alert in Mesh View Volume 1 Page 88 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

89 Setting the Radio Channels - Series 3000 Series 3000 channel assignment is straightforward. Pick one. Screen 55. Setting the Radio February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 89

90 Screen 56. Specifying Radio Encryption Changing Radio Security Settings - Encryption The Firetide mesh offers two levels of security. You can encrypt the radio links, and you can also encrypt end-to-end. Radio link encryption offers aa choice of WEP-64, WEP-128, or 256-ibt WPA2 (AES) encryption, with Pre-Shared Keys. WPA2 specifies 256-bit AES for the encrption method, replacing the RC-4 algorithm used in earlier security standards. End-to-end encryption choices include 128-bit and 256-bit AES encryption. Use of either encryption does not slow throughput. To set encryption, click on the File menu and select Configure Mesh. A dialog box appears. Enter the required data. If you selected 104/128-bit encryption, enter 26 hexadecimal characters for the key; if you selected 40/64-bit encryption, enter 10 hexadecimal characters. Valid characters for all keys are hex digits, numerals 0 through 9 and letters a through f. Note: For added security, the key you enter is replaced by asterisks on screen after you save it. Volume 1 Page 90 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

91 Screen 57. User Account Definitions in Mesh Configuration Mesh Configuration - User Accounts This screen serves two very different purposes depending on whether you are running HotView or HotView Pro. HotView Definition In ordinary HotView, this screen defines the user login. The default values are admin and firetide, but you should change these. Create logins for each human who will access the mesh. HotView Pro Definition In HotView Pro, this screen does NOT define human users. Rather, it defines the user ID that Hot- View Pro uses to log into the mesh. Under HotView Pro, humans do not log into the mesh; only the HotView Pro server does. You should change these settings for security, but you must also enter the same login information under the Server Configuration command. The initial setup allows only one user to log in at a time. After initial setup, you should define and create the user accounts you need, assign privileges, and determine multiple login possibilities. Each mesh requires a read-write user ID, which HotView Pro uses to change the mesh configuration, and a read-only user ID, which HotView Pro uses to monitor the network. Remember, these are not intended to be human users, rather, they represent the identity that HotView Pro must assume in order to connect. Thus, if you change them, you must also use the Server Confuguration tool of HotView Pro to tell HotView Pro what the correct users IDs are. A Note on User Flexibility HotView Pro allows you to define user access per mesh. In a multiple-mesh environment, this is a powerful tool. Each human user can be given read/write access, read-only-access, or no access at all. When building out larger deployments, one may face a situation where installers are adding and testing a new mesh. These installers can be given read/write access to the new mesh, without having access to, or even visibility of, the production portion of the network. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 91

92 Mesh Configuration - Advanced Tab Screen 58. Advanced Settings in Mesh Configuration There are a number of mesh-wide settings grouped under the Advanced tab. They can be used to tune certain aspects of RF performance and low-level MAC layer behavior. If you are using any of Firetide s Class-of-Service features, you will need to enable CoS here first. Multi-Hop Optimization This should be enabled for all meshes with three or more nodes. You should leave it disabled for meshes with only two nodes. Figure 23. The Hidden Node Problem Enabling Multi-hop causes the nodes to use a Request-to-Send/Clear-to-Send (RTS/CTS) handshake when sending packets. In meshes with three or more nodes, this reduces collisions. Packet 1 Packet 2 The Hidden-Node Problem A B C Connection Range Connection Range RTS/CTS is especially useful in situations such as the one shown in Figure 23. Here, Node A and Node C both want to send to Node B. They are likely to collide with each because they cannot hear each other. By using RTS/CTS, Node B arbitrates between them. RSSI Threshold The RSSI Threshold allows you to set the quality threshold for wireless links. Any links that drop below the threshold will not be used for routing traffic. For the routing ability of the link to be restored, the RSSI must achieve the Threshold setting PLUS the Hysteresis Window setting. For example if the RSSI Threshold is -67 dbm and the Hysteresis Window is 3 dbm, routing over the link will not be restored until its RSSI is -64 dbm (-67 dbm plus 3 dbm). In general, you should set this to a threshold weaker than your weakest link, by several db. Firetide recommends that you not try to run leaks weaker than -70 dbm; thus the threshold should be at least -72 dbm and 3 db. However, in most cases your mesh should have normal RSSI values substantially stronger that -70 dbm, thus you will likely have an RSSI threshold in the sixties or better. Volume 1 Page 92 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

93 Extended Range - Optimizing Networks for Longer Distances Just like conventional Ethernet, the Firetide mesh network adheres to careful timing rules regarding when a node can, and cannot, talk. These rules minimize collisions and maximize throughput. The default timing parameters set by Firetide provide optimum performance for most applications where nodes are fairly close. However, networks which use high-gain directional antennas to connect nodes over greater distances will benefit from having the timing parameters optimized for the longer propagation time. If your mesh has one or more links whose exceed approximately 800 meters, use one of the extended range settings. Wireless Class of Service Enables Wireless Class-of-Service prioritization. This must be enbabled in order to enable individual CoS settings on individual nodes and VLANs. You must also assign class of service priorities to the various types of Ethernet traffic. Refer to the section on advanced class of service setup. Congestion Control Enables congestion control. Reserved Multicast MAC Addresses Enables reservation of those MAC addresses specified as Multicast. Interoperability If you wish to run a mesh of mixed Series 3000 and Series 6000 nodes, check this box. Note that the overall characteristics of the mesh are generally those of a Series 3000 mesh. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 93

94 Chapter 13 Command Reference - Server Configuration Accessing Server Settings The Server Configuration settings can be accessed either by using the Server Configuration application from the launcher window, as shown in Screen 59. Screen 59. HotView Pro Launcher Screen If HotView Pro is running, via the Server Configuration command in the file menu. There are nine tabs in the Server Configuration screen. They control: 1. Database - used to enable and diables database use, and to tell HotView Pro where it is. 2. Mesh - used to define the Mesh ID and IP addresses of known meshes. 3. AP Group - used to define AP Groups 4. HotView Users - used to define human users of the system, and their privileges 5. Service Manager - used to start and stop the HotView Pro server and other services Radius Database - used to define the location of the Radius server used by HotPoints. Controller - used to configure mobility and WLAN controllers. SNMP - used to enable and disable SNMP control. Licensing - used to license HotView Pro software 10. Certificate - used to store digital certificates, a part of the high-security mode of mesh operation. This chapter will address items 1, 2, 4, and 5. The other tabs are covered in other sections of this manual. Volume 1 Page 94 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

95 Database Configuration Database Configuration is used to tell the server how to find the database engine. The database engine is PostgreSQL; installation procedures for obtaining and installing it are covered in Appendix XX. Screen 60. Configuring an External Database When you launhc HotView Pro for the first time, you may see a warning message that the database cannot be found. If you are performing an installation for initial configuration only, you do not need to enable database use. However, Firetide requires its use for all multiple mesh systems, and strongly recommends it for all systems. Either configure the database now, or uncheck the box. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 95

96 Mesh Identity Configuration This screen is used to define basic Mesh identifiers. Screen 61. Setting Mesh IP and ID The IP address is used for management purposes only, but must be a routable address. Each mesh has a Mesh ID. Mesh IDs must be from 1 to 254; 0 is reserved as a wild card value. If a mesh ID of 0 is specified, HotView Pro will log into any mesh it discovers. The mesh login information is the info used by HotView Pro to log into the nodes. The readwrite username MUST be admin ; the read-only username MUST be guest. The default password is firetide; this should be changed. (Human user accounts are configured via the User Configuration tab.) The Pre-Load Mesh option tells HotView Pro to expect to find the mesh. If set, HotView Pro loads the expected mesh configuration when starting, and looks for the nodes. It will flag missing nodes. If it is not set, HotView Pro will find a mesh if it is at the default IP address of ; otherwise it will not find any meshes. In general, the Pre-Load Mesh option should be left on. You may wish to turn it off only if you know a particular mesh is not available, i.e. it exists in a completely different part of the enterprise. Note: HotView Pro automatically remembers every mesh it discovers. If you are using HotView Pro to test different mesh configurations or other experimental work, you should delete any such meshes from HotView Pro after you are done, using this screen. Volume 1 Page 96 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

97 Setting Up User Accounts User accounts for HotView Pro are created and managed using the HotView Server Configuration tool. It s important to understand the difference between HotView Pro user accounts, which are for human use; and HotPort mesh accounts, which are for machine use. HotPort mesh accounts are what HotView Pro Server uses to access the meshes. HotView Pro accounts are what system administrators use to access the HotView Pro Mesh Management software. User Account Recommendations Table 12. Suggested HotView Pro User Accounts and Privileges. You can set up three types of access for HotView Pro users. Each user s privileges are configurable on a mesh-by-mesh basis, so that in complex networks local administrators can manage their own mesh(es). They can see other meshes for diagnostic purposes but cannot modify the meshes. READ_WRITE - allows the user to view and modify mesh settings. READ_ONLY - allows the user to view the mesh settings only. DENY_ACCESS - blocks all access to that mesh. In addition, users can be granted or denied permission to administer the HotView Pro server itself. If you plan to run a large network with multiple meshes, you should have three classes of accounts: Server System Administrators (SSA): the smallest group; these accounts can manage HotView Pro server itself, including the ability to create other user accounts. These accounts should be defined to NOT have mesh access. Production Mesh Administrators (PMA): these accounts have control over existing meshes. New Mesh Administrators (NMA): these accounts are used when setting up new meshes prior to deploying production traffic over them. The reason for these categories is simple: any one mesh can only be under the control of one user account at any one time. When a given user logs on, he is normally given write access (i.e., control) to all meshes for which that account is authorized. Note that it s recommended that SSAs not have mesh access. This allows an SSA to administer the server without contending for mesh ownership. As a human user, you would use two different accounts; one for SSA and one for PMA. When one authorized user owns a mesh, another authorized user can request write access. The current owner will be informed of the request, and it will be granted after one minute, if not explicitly denied. Privilege SSA PMA NMA Can admin HVP Server Yes No No Can amin production meshes No Yes, as required No Can admin new, under-deployment meshes No No Yes February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 97

98 Screen 62. Defining User Accounts in HotView Pro Enter the user s ID and password. (If the Username field is not clear, click the Clear button.) Select ALLOW_ACCESS or DENY_ACCESS for Server Configuration. Note: The following special characters are not allowed in passwords: & %, $ The Default Access is the value that will be assigned to that user for any NEW meshes, that is, meshes not already listed in the Mesh ID table. Select ALLOW_ACCESS or DENY_ACCESS; at least one user should be set to ALLOW_ACCESS so that new meshes can be administered. Next, select each individual Mesh ID from the table, and set the ALLOW_ACCESS or DENY_ACCESS value. Then click Save. If you wish to edit a user s settings, click on the user s name, change the settings, and click Apply. Click Save when you are done. Volume 1 Page 98 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

99 Stopping and Starting The HotView Service Manager tab can be used to stop and restart the HotView Server process. This is not normally needed; the server process should be left running. Screen 63. Stopping and Starting the HotView Pro Server NOTE: The Service Manager can stop and restart the server only if the Service Manager is running on the same machine as the server. The Service Manager can stop the server even if the server is running on a remote machine; however the server can only be restarted by a client running on the same machine as the server. This panel is also used to start and stop SNMP. SNMP configuration is done in the SNMP tab. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 99

100 Access Point Groups AP Groups are in some ways analagous to meshes. This screen allows you to add, configure, and delete AP Groups. Screen 64. Access Point Groups Refer to the Section on APs for a complete explanation of AP Groups Volume 1 Page 100 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

101 Radius Server A Radius server is used with HotClients to define access levels and service levels. You may use an existing Radius server or the one Firetide provides. Screen 65. Configuring the Radius Server Refer to the Section on HotClients for a complete explanation of service levels. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 101

102 Controllers If you are using one or more Controllers, you can specify each unit s management IP address here. Screen 66. Specifying Controllers Refer to the section on Controllers for a complete explanation. Volume 1 Page 102 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

103 Configuring SNMP HotView Pro supports SNMP management. The feature is configured via the SNMP tab of the Server Configurator tool. Screen 67. Configuring SNMP Note that SNMP is turned on and off in the Services tab, not this tab. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 103

104 Licensing The HotView Pro server is licensed to a specific platform. This tab allows you to perform the initial licensing task and also add licenses when required. Screen 68. Licensing Refer to the section on licensing for a complete explanation. Volume 1 Page 104 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

105 Security and Certificates HotView Pro offers certificate-based security. You can restrict mesh membership by requiring a digitally-signed certificate from any node that wishes to join. You can further restrict this to a defined list of certificates, and further to require administrative approval of requests to join. Screen 69. Specifying Security Certificates Firetide HotPort nodes are digitally signed at the factory, guaranteeing authenticity. Enterprisespecific certificates are available. Contact Firetide for details. End of Chapter February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 105

106 Chapter 14 LPOD Integrated Camera Node What It Is The LPOD is an integrated surveillance system. It combines a camera, a video encoder, and a Hot- Port 6102 mesh node into a single rugged outdoor enclosure. The enclosure comes with a mounting system that allows pole mounting as well as wall mounting. The unit is AC powered, and has an enxternal Ethernet connection and an optional fiber-optic connection. Like all dual-radio Firetide mesh nodes, it requires two antennas, and has two N connectors for this purpose. Refer to the LPOD User Guide for installation details Managing the Node From the point of view of mesh planning and mesh management, the LPOD is simply a 6102 mesh node, and appears in HotView Pro as such. All operation and configuration is done exactly the same as any other Series 6000 node. Figure 24. Internal LPOD Wiring When using HotVew Pro version or newer, you will see a unique icon on-screen for the node. This icon is shown at left. Older versions of HotView support the LPOD, but display a generic 6102 icon instead. All standard HotPort 6102 wireless mesh node features are supported, but not all Ethernet ports are available. Figure 24 shows the internal connections of the LPOD. Antenna 1 Antenna 2 Power from internal power supply To external Ethernet connector To fiber transceiver To encoder/camera Not connected Accessing the Camera The camera/encoder system is accessible via a standard web browser, at address Refer to the camera/codec documentation for details on camera configuration and operation. LPOD System Configuration LPOD-equipped meshes should be set up like other Firetide wireless mesh networks. If you are installing a new mesh, perform the initial mesh configuration on all nodes, including the LPOD, in your lab or shop area. Refer to Chapter 8 for details. If you are adding an LPOD to an existing mesh, begin by setting up the LPOD in your lab. You will need a computer with HotView or HotView Pro installed, and a LAN interface configured for the X/24 subnet. You should also have a copy of your saved mesh configuration. (Use the Import Mesh Configuration to get a copy from the existing deployed mesh.) Power up the LPOD and connect it to your PC. After about 90 seconds, ping the IP address If there is no response, check all connections and try again. If you still cannot get a response, perform a factory reset on the LPOD. When you get a response from ping, launch HotView and connect to the LPOD. Set its country code. Point your browser at You should see the camera image. If desired, change the default IP address of the camera/encoder. Apply the saved mesh configuration to the node. After the node reboots, verify that the camera image is still accessible. You may now install the unit in the field. Volume 1 Page 106 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

107 LPOD Troubleshooting If you experience trouble with your LPOD, follow the troubleshooting steps shown in Figure 25. Figure 25. Troubleshooting Chart for LPOD Video not working Ping encoder IP address Pass Problem is between camera and encoder Fail Refer to camera/encoder troubleshooting guide Ping mesh IP address Fail Resolve mesh-down issue. Pass Identify video surveillance node; check status in HotView Pro Down Problem is that 6102 is down Up Refer to troubleshooting section of HotView Pro Reference Guide Check Ethernet port 2 status on mesh node Port Down Problem in connectivity between mesh node and camera/encoder Port Up Advanced debugging required. Contact Firetide support Check for improperlyconfigured VLAN Yes Fix VLAN No Advanced debugging required. Contact Firetide support General mesh troubleshooting is described in Chapter 28. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 107

108 Glossary These terms are useful to an understanding of wireless mesh technology in general and Firetide products in particular a family of protocols developed under IEEE guidelines for sending Ethernet packets over radio links a, b, and g are currently the most widely used. Bandwidth damping - a speed-limiting effect which can occur in half-duplex networks. db, or decibel - the commonly-used measure of power in RF systems. Ethernet Direct - a wired connection within one mesh. An Ethernet direct connection is visible to the mesh routing algorithm, which considers its capacity and speed when routing packets within a mesh. Thus, Ethernet Direct links increase the capacity of the mesh in which they are contained. Fresnel Zone - the area surrounding an RF signal that must remain largely free of interfering objects. Full-duplex - some radio systems support simultaneous transmission and reception. Gateway Group - a collection of nodes configured to offer multiple egress points from the mesh. When a Gateway Group is used, it is usually also the Head Node, but this is not required. Half-duplex - many radio systems can either transmit or receive, but cannot do both at the same time. Thus in a group of nodes all within radio range of each other, at any given time only one node can be transmitting. Head Node - the node on the mesh which is logically closest to the NMS. Typically this is the node which is plugged into the enterprise backbone, and from there to the NMS system. Integrated AP - A Firetide HotPoint Access Point that is connected to a Firetide mesh node. Interoperability - in the Firetide context, use of Series 6000 nodes and Series 3000 nodes in the same mesh. Link - a connection between two nodes within a single mesh. Also known as a path. Links are generally wireless RF connections, but can be wired connections in some cases. (See Ethernet Direct.) The key point is that the connection is between two nodes within the same mesh; that is, within the same mesh-routing domain. Mesh Bridge - a wired connection between two distinct meshes. The meshes can be near each other, or even physically overlapping if they are logically isolated. They can also be arbitrarily far apart. Because a Mesh Bridge connection is between two meshes, it is not part of any meshrouting algorithm. Mobile node - a Firetide mesh node installed in a vehicle or any other place where it moves relative to the other nodes. Multipath - the condition where a radio receiver receives two versions of the same signal, because one signal took a more direct path and the other signal a reflected path. Network Management System (NMS) - another name for HotView or HotView Pro, the system for configuring and monitoring network behavior. Note that the NMS is NOT required for network operation; only for initial configuration. Node - one of the elements of a mesh. It has one or more radios, and a CPU which implements the packet-switching algorithm. Nodes also offer wired-ethernet ports as entry points to the wireless mesh. QoS/Class of Service - mechanism used to insure that time-critical traffic (e.g. VoIP) gets delivered promptly Roaming - the ability to support clients as they move from access point to access point. Volume 1 Page 108 HotView Pro Reference Guide Revision

109 Standalone AP - A Firetide HotPoint Access Point that is connected directly to the wired enterprise LAN. Third-party AP - an AP not made by Firetide. Firetide supports third-party APs, as well as other Ethernet-compatible devices. VLAN - a dedicated virtual Ethernet switch. Ethernet devices assigned to one VLAN are isolated from devices assigned to another VLAN. This is often used to provide security, and in combination with QoS, to provide traffic prioritization. February 2009 Firetide. Reliable Connectivity Anywhere. Volume 1 Page 109

110 End of Volume One of the HotView Pro Reference Guide