I'm going to replace the second channel doing backhaul of an AP-1000 at our
main WIPOP using the base station software with a dedicated backhaul radio.
I'd like this system to support several radios on board, as I'd like to be
able to make connections to several PtP WIPOP/microWIPOP locations.
So, I'm wondering if I use a microATX board, and say, 3-4 radios on board,
will the SF-4300 (TurboCell Satellite for FlashROM) be able to make the
connections on those radios to one PtP TC client? Will SF-4300 support
more than two radios?
I'm thinking that each one of these PtP TC clients could be a WPBASE running
Satellite. The WPBASE+ systems for the microWIPOPs would have one radio
making the connection back to the main WIPOP in TC mode, and the other radio
slot would be doing 802.11b to make the connections to the client
homes/businesses, if that is possible.
The other alternative would be for Karlnet to offer a low cost alternative
(crippled) version of the base station software for these small neighborhood
fill-in mesh systems. Say something that would support, say, 10 clients.
Currently, I do this using a SR-4000 client and the RG-1100 coupled with a
StarOS system or MikroTik. Not ideal. I've played with the idea of going
away from Karlnet entirely on the backhaul, slotting a "g" radio in a StarOS
system, doing my backhual with that, and then slotting radios for each of my
PtP links to my neighborhood 802.11b (where due to the small numbers of
clients, hidden-node is not a problem) microWIPOPs. One large advantage to
this approach is that I can use a StarOS system running on one micoATX
system with two radios to make a microWIPOP. No need to spend money on the
Karlnet hardware/licences.
Bottom line is that here in the geographically convoluted West, WISPs need
lots of translators to fill in areas that require service. StarOS is
moving it's product in that direction, creating a semi-mesh system to give
us the tools to do that kind of thing. I'd love to do it with Karlnet, only
I'm not sure that the flexibility exists in the product line to do it
economically.
Norm
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