[wplug] muni wif non-starter -- lack of 802.11s standardization hampers efforts, costs ...

[Bryan J. Smith]

Drew from Zhrodague <drew at zhrodague.net> wrote:
> Evidently, there isn't enough demand to pay for the
> infrastructure costs. Who knew?

The lack of a commodity 802.11s standard is really hampering efforts,
costs, etc... as different providers jockey for exclusive rights.

I spent 2005-2006 working at the primary integrator/reseller of
Motorola/Mesh Networks technology.  It's a measly 1.5Mbps
implementation using the 2.4GHz band, although it cuts through
everything, and goes much farther.  We provided the communications
for the Coast Guard during Katrina, as no one else could offer
anything.  1.5Mbps isn't much, but the crap works, goes far, and it
cuts through anything else in the 2.4GHz band like it's butter.

While there I evaluated countless other implementations -- true mesh,
partial mesh with same-band and out-of-band backhauls, etc...  I was
also involved with the 802.11s committee and let me tell you one
thing, *NO*ONE* has addressed *BOTH* the combination of hardware
*AND* software.  ;)

98% of 802.11s proposals are software/VLAN-based and are _grossly_
inefficient "software-only" approaches.  Makes me think back to when
I first saw Intel's IA-64 ISA and blantantly stated "WTF?  They are
trying to solve the semiconductor timing and pipeline
staging/scheduling issue at the compiler?"  Same deal when I look at
98% of 802.11s proposals that try to leverage 802.1 mechanisms to
deal with things that are clearly physical/signaling aspects -- it's
a 802.11 problem, not a general 802.1 one.

Which leaves about 2%, most of which are shotty, unreliable, and
almost always unidirectional.

Now there are some interesting things going on out at Rice in Dallas,
with their (last time I checked) five (5) multi-unidirectional
"backhauls" and custom wireless station points.  The idea is 10Gbps
backhauls in three (3) directions with local 2-11Mbps station access,
although how far and how much it can provide overall is questionable.

In the end, as I said before, lack of 802.11s standardization really
hampers efforts.  And with so many vendors claiming their product is
best, there are those "proprietary costs."  So there's not much any
municipality can look to, let alone "affordable."  That won't happen
until there is a standard, and it becomes commodity.  Until then,
everything is proprietary.

And most of it is just "glued" 802.11a/b/g and pre-n, pretty
unreliable, with countless service issues.


-- 
Bryan J. Smith   Professional, Technical Annoyance
b.j.smith at ieee.org    http://thebs413.blogspot.com
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     Fission Power:  An Inconvenient Solution