royce@scor_az.resp-sci.arizona.edu (Royce Robbins) (09/28/90)
Net folks,
I have a connectivity problem. Last year our
Telecommunications department rewired the main campus, and a few
of the buildings that were "close" in a politico-economic sense.
They have provided fiber links to most buildings and copper to a
few others. They did not connect, nor do they intend to connect
certain "temporary" (been there since 1920) buildings, including
one to which I need to be connected.
It is not econmically feasible (T1? Sure, $750/month +
$15000 for equipment. Yeah, right) to lay either copper or fiber
to this site. I can stand on my roof and see the other building
less than 1/2 mile away, I can literally hear them when they yell
'Connect me! Connect me!'. They are currently connected via a
9600baud leased line ($35+/month) that has no possibility for
upgrade.
My problem is: How do I connect this site at reasonable
speed (AppleTalk speed minimum) without laying a physical
connection? Any ideas? I know I am not alone in having to do
this. A good, inexpensive, reliable method would be met with
great enthusiasm by a lot of peole, I'm sure. Options I've heard
of or looked at: 2-way lasers, microwave relays, (mucho bucks)
packet radio (mucho slow). Anything else?
(The following is a plea for support AND
an unpaid promotional announcement)
One of products I found was a wireless LAN made by a group
in Canada;
Telesystems SLW Inc.
85 Scardale Road, Suite 201
Don Mills, Ontario CANADA M3B 2R2
(416) 441-9966
(416) 441-9785 (fax)
They have several product lines, ranging from a wireless
RS232 300-19200baud link to the ARLAN 600 line which is their
"Megabit Wireless LAN". They all use a spread-spectrum radio
transmission technology to achieve high security and high levels
of interference resistance. Their products are low power
devices, FCC certified under Part 15 in the US and DOC type
accepted in Canada for licence-free operation.
The specs say: Frequency: 915MHz (2.5 GHz also available);
Speed: Variable, 1 Mbps nominal
Transmit Power: up to 1 watt
Typical range: Indoor/Office 300' diameter
Open Factory 1200' diameter
Building - Building
(line of sight) 1 mile
Directional antennae are available
Price: about $2000, but not yet fixed
Two products are available (but won't be shipping until "4th quarter"):
ARLAN 610 is a router that "ties into an Ethernet backbone LAN"
and according to the Tech I talked to would provide
plug'n play compatibility for Internet routing.
ARLAN 650 is a 8-bit PC/AT compatible card that provides a fully
self-contained LAN communications card. You just have
an antenna sticking out the back instead of a wire.
The 650 sounds like a great product. Think of the bucks
you'ld save not having to lay cable (and re-lay it when users
move!) It's major drawback is that the only driver available is
for Novell NetWare. Utterly useless for a majority of
applications.
Personally I think these sound like fantastic problem
solvers, especially for situations like mine and similiar
situations I know to exist on this campus. Not to mention home
use! I told them having a packet driver written to FTP
Software's PC/TCP specs would open up a tremendous market. The
tech I spoke to said he'ld look into it. Any other suggestions
anyone might have would also be welcomed.
PLEA TIME: CONTACT THIS COMPANY!
If anybody else agrees with me please CONTACT THIS COMPANY! Let
them know there is a market out there (I KNOW I'm not alone) AND
that most of the world wants something other than Novell (like
TCP/IP). End of plea.
Oh yeah, if anyone has any OTHER ideas, let me know. Thanks!
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Royce Robbins INTERNET: royce@resp-sci.arizona.edu
Div Resp Sciences FAX: (602) 626-4884
UofArizona PHONE: (602) 626-5022
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=vtcqa@shamash.cdc.com (Jeff Comstock) (09/28/90)
> packet radio (mucho slow) .....
Maybe these systems aren't considered packet radio, but
there has been work done by Amateur Radio operators using
'arcnet' ( 1 mbps ) cards on 10 gHz, and I have heard
that Bdale Garbee has done 10 mbps over the radio too.
The 1 mbps system was explained in great detail, schematics
and everything in the December 1989 issue of Ham Radio
magazine. That system could be slapped together for
probably (alot) less than 200 dollars. It was designed
to use KA9Q TCP/IP.
If you are interested in contacting these people, send me
email and I will dig up some mail addresses for you.
Jeff nelson@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Russ Nelson) (09/29/90)
In article <141@organpipe.UUCP> royce@scor_az.resp-sci.arizona.edu (Royce Robbins) writes:
One of products I found was a wireless LAN made by a group
in Canada ...
I told them having a packet driver written to FTP Software's PC/TCP
specs would open up a tremendous market.
I gave them a call, and offered a free packet driver in return for a
donation of two PC cards to Clarkson. They said that they like to be
paid for these kinds of things, and they have a developer's kit for
sale also. They admitted as how they might be able to make some
accomodation for my case, however. They said they'd call me back.
Frankly, I don't have the time to waste begging them. I've got lots
of other packet drivers to write. However, if you think they've got a
solution for you, call them up and explain how much you like Clarkson
packet drivers... :-)
--
--russ (nelson@clutx [.bitnet | .clarkson.edu]) Russ.Nelson@$315.268.6667
It's better to get mugged than to live a life of fear -- Freeman Dysonrpw3@rigden.wpd.sgi.com (Rob Warnock) (09/30/90)
In article <141@organpipe.UUCP> royce@scor_az.resp-sci.arizona.edu (Royce Robbins) writes: +--------------- | I have a connectivity problem... One of products I found was a wireless | LAN made by a group in Canada... Telesystems SLW Inc... | Two products are available (but won't be shipping until "4th quarter"): | ARLAN 610 is a router that "ties into an Ethernet backbone LAN" | ARLAN 650 is a 8-bit PC/AT... card that provides a fully self-contained... +--------------- Back in April of this year, Dave Farber <farber@linc.cis.upenn.edu> wrote in this forum: +--------------- | We, at UPenn, are in the final stages of putting our local magnet high school | of engineering and science -- the George Washington Carver High School in | Philadelphia onto the internet via a spread spectrum radio link operating | license free at 900 mh. +--------------- Inquiring, I got back mail from Al Broscius <broscius@cis.upenn.edu>, who said: +--------------- | The current Spread Spectrum Packet Radio system being deployed is manufactured | by Telesystems SLW of Toronto, CA and complies with FCC 15.126 rules (now | moved to 15.247). The card, named the ARLAN 450, is a PC/XT adapter which | has a 902-928 MHz 230 kbps transceiver and a Z80 for on-board processing. | The outside world is connected via a "TNC"-style RF jack (similar to a | BNC but threaded). | | The antennas we're currently using ar 18.6 dBi 33-elt loop yagis from | Down East Microwave in Maine. Software is KA9Q NOS with a custom | packet driver built from the Clarkson kit plus the supplied Novell | driver and some UPenn-originated glue code. +--------------- And in later mail, Al said: +--------------- | The radio cards go for $1500 each in unit quantity. They have a 230 kbps | channel rate. | | The loop yagi beams cost $109 each and should give the system a range | in excess of our target 3 miles. I'd be a little hesitant about claiming | 20 miles (very hesitant, actually). +--------------- 1. I'd be very interested in hearing an update from the UPenn folk on how things are going, and whether the deployment of this system has been easy, hard, aborted, or whatever. 2. It looks like the ARLAN 600 series products are shooting for the more "productized" or "plug-n-play" market. The ARLAN 450 UPenn used might be more for the technically more adventuresome ["...UPenn-originated glue code..."]. But it sounds like it was available earlier. 3. Maybe Telesystems SLW Inc. just hasn't decided what market they want to be in. (?) -Rob ----- Rob Warnock, MS-9U/510 rpw3@sgi.com rpw3@pei.com Silicon Graphics, Inc. (415)335-1673 Protocol Engines, Inc. 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, CA 94039-7311