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Technology Stocks : The *NEW* Frank Coluccio Technology Forum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: ftth who wrote (1433)	12/2/2000 5:49:08 PM
From: Bernard Levy	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 46821

Hi ftth: The WMUX Gigabit Ethernet bridge is to my knowledge the highest capacity (720Mb/sec) microwave radio in existence. This is where the ``breakthough'' part comes from. Of course, STXN, CRNT and TNSI are not far behind. Bernard Levy

To: ftth who wrote (1433)	12/2/2000 6:26:25 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Respond to of 46821

At least one of the breakthroughs, as Bernard has mentioned already, comes with the huge leap in line rates that they claim to be able to deliver. And the similarity to Terabeam is in their stated intent to connect to MDU/MTUs, which I assumed would be similar to Terabeam's "shower" effect. It wouldn't suprise me to see similar configurations of Ethernet and routing behind both the TB and WMUX devices, facing the user populations. The number of nines that any Layer One link can achieve does not take into account what is connected to it, only the link itself. I wouldn't measure applications on a SONET ring on an end to end basis when measuring the survivability of the ring itself. Nor would I care about the 'end to end' applications, when assessing the survivability of the air bridge. re the basement matter, The fact that they are able to situate the unit in the basement speaks to the fact that the electronics do not need to be mounted on the roof, rather, that they can mount the unit anywhere, and extend to the outside antenna on the roof, or on the side of the building, from any perch within the building. I 'do' think that it poses a direct threat to the laser system, if not solely because of the speed aspect, then because of the improved immunity to weather conditions, etc. OTOH, if the 5 GHz unlicensed bands, along with other experimental uses in that region of the spectrum become congested or saturated, then I'm not quite sure how to gauge the reliability of here, either. Maybe you or one of our other wireless mavens here would care to provide some comment here on this matter. Already, it is being suggested as a potential alternative to one of my intended uses of i-r for a campus project, where the laser shot would (have?) serve(d) as a tertiary form of backup - and for application development grade uses - backing up a dual optical path configuration between buildings. I've suggested a bake-off, if this WMUX and the Optical plays prove commercially viable beyond the glossy/powerpoint stage. Here's are some application notes from their web site: wmux.com ----- Remote Site Access Using Western Multiplex Wireless Bridges and Fast/Gigabit Ethernet Switches Market Segments: Enterprise Fiber Extension Service Provider Applications: Last mile access to a remote company site for high speed Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet routing and switching, point to point connection Branch office connected to headquarters via VPN CLEC bypass for ISP connection Fiber extension to/from Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) Media diversity for redundant or secure connection/higher availability to the ISP or CLEC Goal Enable rapid installation and operation of 100/1000BaseT connections to remote company locations for seamless integration into central or headquarter locations Problem Remote sites must have fiber access to be connected for a broad range of communication services such as high speed Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet connectivity. Typically, though, very few buildings within a metropolitan or business park footprint have fiber access. Users in buildings without fiber access can get such access, but would be subject to high construction costs, scheduling delays, and regulatory issues associated with underground or aerial installation. In some cases, buildings cannot be reached at all by fiber because of remoteness or right of way issues. Solution Establish a wireless high capacity connection ("fiber connection without the fiber") from a central location to the remote site for switch to switch connectivity at 100/1000BaseT. A pair of Western Mulitplex Tsunami 100BaseT wireless Fast Ethernet bridges provide a Fast Ethernet connection between two Layer 2/Layer 3 switches at 44 Mbps full-duplex. Rooftop mounted antennas are cabled to the indoor mounted Tsunami bridges. The bridges interface directly to the 100BaseTx/Fx ports on the switches. The Tsunami 100BaseT provides seamless data link layer Layer 2) connectivity, transparent to the ports on the switch. The Tsunami products are popular for rapid installation and cost effective deployment of high capacity Fast Ethernet connections to remote locations. Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet switches can provide full IP/IPX switching using static routing or RIP V1/V2 routing protocols. Together, these two products are a powerful combination for extending Layer 2/Layer 3 switching to remote company locations where fiber access was previously unavailable. Details The Tsunami 100BaseT Wireless Bridges establish an IEEE 802.3u - compliant 100BaseT wireless connection over distances of less than 1 mile and up to 15 miles. This connection is 44 mbps full duplex, or 88 mbps total throughput. To achieve this connection over these distances, various size antennas ranging from 1 to 4 foot flat panel or parabolic antennas can be selected. The flat panel antennas are more visually appealing for building mounting, but parabolic antennas are more efficient for longer distances. Larger antenna sizes are used for longer distances. In addition, the cable length between the antenna and the indoor bridge unit is factored in for the total bridge performance over a specified distance. For example, for a line-of-sight distance of 5 miles where 100 feet of 5/8" coax cabling is installed, a 1-foot flat panel could be selected for each end. If a 4-foot antenna is permitted, then the distance of the remote connection would be capable of 14 miles. Beyond these distances using these antennas, the wireless path would still operate but with a higher long-term bit error rate (BER) that could lead to increased errors in the packets transmitted at certain times. Under these conditions, the switch on the receiving end would note that the CRC check is not correct and discard the packet, resulting in retransmission under Layer 3 or Layer 4 protocols, and reducing the overall usable data throughput as measured at Layer 7. This potential for reduced performance may be acceptable to some users, therefore distances can be extended and/or antenna sizes minimized to meet the specific demands of the network. The Tsunami 100BaseT bridges operate in the license-exempt U-NII 5.8 GHz frequency band, and can be installed immediately without frequency coordination or FCC licensing. This product is currently in production and can be installed rapidly and be in operation within days, instead of the weeks or months it may take for fiber or wire.