How Muni WiFi Works
In a BelAir Networks muni Wi-Fi mesh network, each multi-radio node supports backhaul coverage in all directions using antennas in a circular array. The antennas have a high gain and a narrow horizontal beamwidth, which together with enhanced radio performance, provide significant reach extension.
The three backhaul radios in each platform can automatically connect to any one of the eight backhaul antennas with no need for manual pointing. The selection is done under software control via BelAir Networks patent pending autoantenna selection algorithm.
System availability is ensured through a combination of techniques:
- The radio environment is constantly changing and the radios adapt to these changes on a packet-by-packet basis. In addition, dynamic power and data rate changes on individual radio links compensate for radio effects such as fading and shadowing.
- Radio-aware routing algorithms choose the best route for traffic based on available capacity, latency and radio link performance.
- To increase system up-time and minimize traffic outages, traffic from each broadband platform can be load balanced across a minimum of two routes to reduce the impact of link congestion and failure.
- Alternate paths are continuously calculated and refreshed so that seamless re-routing of traffic can occur with minimal packet loss in the unlikely event of a link failure.
A BelAir wireless mesh can easily scale up to meet increased network demand. Or it can be scaled down to address lowest cost coverage requirements through the seamless integration of single- and dual-radio nodes. New nodes can be incorporated into the mesh network automatically, without complex operator intervention.
A wireless mesh network can be deployed with a single egress point (point of presence). As usage increases and demand warrants, additional egress points can be added for increased capacity and redundancy through multi-homing.
