Good points, some variables are dependant on the network infrastructure
of the wireless provider. Localy, the main 2 providers have a
"copper/fiber independent" networks.
Gino A. Villarini
gav@aeronetpr.com
Aeronet Wireless Broadband Corp.
tel 787.273.4143 fax 787.273.4145
Wireless RF links have their drawbacks:
1. Current GHz Frequency technology places upper limit of 1 Gbps on
point-to-point links, and distance at 1 Gbps is limited. Commercial GiGE
radios are just now appearing, replacing 100 Mbps Ethernet and oc3 SONET
radios. Telco use of wireless links to backup 10/40 GiGE fiber trunks in
metropolitan areas is not scalable.
2. Wireless technology contains hardware plethora of nuts, bolts,
cables, fasteners, custom-tuned crystals, dishes, passive/active
reflectors, in addition to layer 1 tuning best performed by EE
specializing in RF.
3. Relative to fiber optic technologies, there is a very small circle of
RF companies that can install, tune, and maintain wireless links
correctly and reliably.
4. Tower-climbing/working skills are essential.
But, what is the state of diverse telco fiber paths such that this fiber
cut was not transparent to users in such a key US metropolitan area?
Gino Villarini wrote:
Good points, some variables are dependant on the network infrastructure
of the wireless provider. Localy, the main 2 providers have a
"copper/fiber independent" networks.
I'm pretty sure the WISPs in the Santa Cruz and Gilroy/Morgan Hill areas were all also taken offline due to the fiber cut. (Roy, can you verify, for south county?) Anyone in those areas who relied on a WISP as a backup to their fiber/copper link found that their "redundant" system wasn't really redundant after all.
You may want to check (verify) how your 2 main providers handle their backhaul.
jc
JC Dill wrote:
Gino Villarini wrote:
Good points, some variables are dependant on the network infrastructure
of the wireless provider. Localy, the main 2 providers have a
"copper/fiber independent" networks.I'm pretty sure the WISPs in the Santa Cruz and Gilroy/Morgan Hill
areas were all also taken offline due to the fiber cut. (Roy, can you
verify, for south county?) Anyone in those areas who relied on a WISP
as a backup to their fiber/copper link found that their "redundant"
system wasn't really redundant after all.You may want to check (verify) how your 2 main providers handle their
backhaul.jc
It based on where the WISP fiber feed was located but in general they
were all down. There were some special edge cases that stayed up fed
from distant mountain tops.
It didn't seem to matter who your upstream ISP was, they were all gone.
Roy wrote:
JC Dill wrote:
I'm pretty sure the WISPs in the Santa Cruz and Gilroy/Morgan Hill
areas were all also taken offline due to the fiber cut. (Roy, can you
verify, for south county?) Anyone in those areas who relied on a WISP
as a backup to their fiber/copper link found that their "redundant"
system wasn't really redundant after all.
It based on where the WISP fiber feed was located but in general they
were all down. There were some special edge cases that stayed up fed
from distant mountain tops.It didn't seem to matter who your upstream ISP was, they were all gone.
The little residential wireless provider I use (http://surfnetc.com/) in Santa Cruz county stayed up the whole time. I was surprised. (Looks like their uplink is via pnap (Internap).)