#201

As a person that enjoys emergency communications I am always looking for new ways to enhance current systems. I am currently working on several ID-1 Go-Kits that can be used for field deployment in the event of a disaster. I've been enhancing and upgrading, trying to make the system as robust and tactical as possible. However, I seem to be constantly running into issues with the router and the need for a better solution.

I am curious if anybody has tried to use an Open Mesh Router running the RO.B.IN firmware.

It is my intention to create a package that can be deployed outside of a shelter, be fully self sufficient, and be able to communicate with standard electronic devices such as Notebook Computers and other Wi-Fi enabled devices. I plan on utilizing an encryption algorithm to prevent unauthorized use so we don't need to worry about anyone accessing our amateur network that shouldn't. One of my thoughts behind the Open Mesh is that it is a self healing network, the more nodes, the better it operates. Also, if we should find an actual internet connection it is simple to add another router that will make it a better place to speak to the outside world. We can also expand our range to extreme measures if needed, simply by adding additional nodes.

My question is if you've tried to use one of these devices I would love to hear from you. To save on bandwidth I would like to limit the topic to strictly those that have attempted to use an Open Mesh protocol.

Thanks for your support.

Eric Gilderlseeve KD7CAO
Director, Technical Operations
Denton County Amateur Radio Association

#208

开云体育

You didn’t indicate if you were including a standard D-STAR repeater in the setup or not, it makes a big difference.

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While there is not necessarily anything that would preclude the Open Mesh protocols from working, their implementation on the 802.11B type routers includes the use of a lot more bandwidth. If you have 10 Mbps of bandwidth, dedicating 100kbps to maintaining a self-healing network isn’t a big deal. But it would be a killer on D-STAR.

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I don’t know how much bandwidth is needed for the Open Mesh software, but the lower speed and half-duplex nature of D-STAR means that you would definitely need to test the configuration out.

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The repeater implementation of High Speed Data is a point to multipoint network. The nodes can’t talk to each other, only the repeater node. And since the repeater node isn’t full duplex, the other nodes don’t hear the packets.

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A couple of things that should always be watched when using computers and the ID-1s…

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·???????? A router should always be placed between the computer and the ID-1 and the computer placed on a Nat’d network. This keeps NetBIOS broadcast and TCP/IP broadcast and ARPs off of the air.

·???????? All computers should be updated via Windows Update or Yum immediately before placing in use. This will reduce the pings and possible downloads from occurring.

·???????? If talking to a repeater stack, the router that you place next to the ID-1 gets the D-STAR IP address in it. You can therefore set it once and not have to reconfigure the computer when using with D-STAR

·???????? 100 kbps is a lot of bandwidth, until you start using it. While some classic TCP/IP programs are great for optimizing the bandwidth, others can be hogs.

·???????? Specialized web sites can be advantageous, just refrain from putting lots of bandwidth wasting pictures on it.

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Ed WA4YIH

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Show quoted text

From: D-STAR_23cm@... [mailto:D-STAR_23cm@...] On Behalf Of hamkd7cao
Sent: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 2:32 PM
To: D-STAR_23cm@...
Subject: [D-STAR_23cm] ID-1 and Open Mesh

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As a person that enjoys emergency communications I am always looking for new ways to enhance current systems. I am currently working on several ID-1 Go-Kits that can be used for field deployment in the event of a disaster. I've been enhancing and upgrading, trying to make the system as robust and tactical as possible. However, I seem to be constantly running into issues with the router and the need for a better solution.

I am curious if anybody has tried to use an Open Mesh Router running the RO.B.IN firmware.

It is my intention to create a package that can be deployed outside of a shelter, be fully self sufficient, and be able to communicate with standard electronic devices such as Notebook Computers and other Wi-Fi enabled devices. I plan on utilizing an encryption algorithm to prevent unauthorized use so we don't need to worry about anyone accessing our amateur network that shouldn't. One of my thoughts behind the Open Mesh is that it is a self healing network, the more nodes, the better it operates. Also, if we should find an actual internet connection it is simple to add another router that will make it a better place to speak to the outside world. We can also expand our range to extreme measures if needed, simply by adding additional nodes.

My question is if you've tried to use one of these devices I would love to hear from you. To save on bandwidth I would like to limit the topic to strictly those that have attempted to use an Open Mesh protocol.

Thanks for your support.

Eric Gilderlseeve KD7CAO
Director, Technical Operations
Denton County Amateur Radio Association

erwestgard

#209

--- In D-STAR_23cm@..., "Woodrick, Ed" <ewoodrick@...> wrote:

You didn't indicate if you were including a standard D-STAR repeater in the setup or not, it makes a big difference.
This is the setup we use every year at the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon more or less.  We use our DD mode "repeaters" each with a Linux box behind them running DNAT.  So each ID-1 can talk to the repeater/Linux box, and the ID-1s can also talk to each other.  This is not supported by the stock repeater.  We run Amateur Radio /runner tracking /chat /query applications that are designed to be web like and friendly but not bandwidth hogs with streaming.

We use routers in front of remote ID-s to control traffic and broadcasts.  You can support vast numbers of users on ID-1s in this model – dozens+ - but not for random Internet access and or streaming media.   Windows Update is a network killer- and another good reason not to use these systems instead of the five other commercial ways to get to the Internet.  Many Internet sites use SSL- not Part 97 friendly.

We are investigating mesh networking on Linksys open source friendly wrt-54g access points- the idea is to keep local traffic that those units can handle- Internet, streaming video, VoIP, off the limited ID-1/RP-1D area backbone, which is used for critical health and welfare data.

You can support weather maps, on scene photos, "slow scan" video etc on ID-1s, but you have to plan and limit the bandwidth used.

And if your agencies find that none of their commercial Internet access methods work, you can set up a gateway for them but DSTAR is a poor Internet Service Provider platform, which is actually good for us or there would be bootleg systems all over.

On the other hand, during an Internet outage, our critical web enabled emergency applications will be up area-wide.  Which gives us Part 97 enabled bragging rights, which is as it should be.