In the high-stakes battle of Internet providers, WiMAX represents the latest up-and-comer to challenge DSL and cable technologies. This new wireless technology is gaining attention for its ability to provide high-speed, high-throughput broadband connections over distances of up to 30 miles instead of a few hundred feet. Exhibiting a surprising amount of utility, WiMAX can be used for a number of different applications.
W h i t e P a p e r
Improving Reliability for
WiMAX Antenna SitesFor want of a nail the shoe is lost, for want of a shoe the horse is lost, for want of a horse the rider is lost - George Herbert.
Herbert's insight into the importance of support devices holds Multi-function SNMP up just as well in the twenty-first century world of communications as it did when first quoted in the seventeenth century world of traps that address warfare by horse. In the high-stakes battle of Internet providers, monitoring and WiMAX represents the latest up-and-comer to challenge DSL and cable technologies. This new wireless technology is gaining maintenance issues for attention for its ability to provide high-speed, high-throughput broadband connections over distances of up to 30 miles instead of a remote communications few hundred feet. Exhibiting a surprising amount of utility, WiMAX towers may deliver the can be used for a number of different applications, including "last mile" broadband connections, cellular backhaul, and high-speed competitive edge for enterprise connections for businesses.
WiMAX providers. Yet, one of the biggest challenges to any advanced wireless operation is the maintenance of continuous and economical service regardless of weather conditions and power irregularities or outages. Without reliability, the battle is over. This necessitates 100% attention to several issues, such as the monitoring of electric power and environmental conditions within each of many sites blanketing a service area, and also mandates the ability to protect and remotely manage multiple communications-related devices.
The Need to Avoid "Field Trips"With an array of cellular towers linked to main communication hubs in each service area, every coverage "umbrella" is likely to have dozens of remote sites that are vulnerable to lightning strikes, heat, wind and other conditions that cause power sags, spikes and outages. CWa hs ei t Se t Puadpye r
Improving Reliability for
WiMAX Antenna Sites
For a WiMAX-type provider with its armies of Juggling Switching Issuestowers, any random spike or power outage means that At the same time, such a device can also address a platoon of service trucks must roll. This enormously switching challenges. Typically, the arrayed-cell sites expensive and time-consuming "reactive" strategy can of any WiMAX provider will contain base station impact both the price and reliability of service. While radios, backhaul radios, switches and routers. The each site is traditionally equipped with standby batteries, POP sites will have considerably more hardware, so that power only lasts a finite number of hours, so reliable an express need exists for a switching device that is alarm notification and timely restoration of devices to versatile enough to adapt for the various equipment normal mode is vital. types within the network. Quite often, several stand-alone relays are called for, adding to the expense and To avoid physical site visits, a system operator must complexity of equipping a site.have the ability to remotely cycle power when a device freezes-up, or when a new configuration requires To keep costs down, a multifunction unit from rebooting. Also required is the full-time monitoring Asentria possesses a self-contained, robust relay of cabinet entry and events, as well as protecting system that handles all switching. Each of eight relays and managing the devices within the cabinet. Most may be separately set to accept varying input voltages importantly, the ability to remotely handle all of these of 48vdc, 24vdc, 110vac or 220vac and are capable of functions through SNMP [Simple Network Management switching loads of up to 10A. The mechanical relays Protocol] over a private IP network enables the direct have three connection points, so that they can be control necessary to ensure reliability. wired "normally off" or "normally on." As a result, even if power is interrupted, the switch will remain in its Providing all of this functionality, however, "normal" setting so that service is not interrupted. This traditionally mushrooms into an expensive proposition prevents a single point of failure to greatly improve -- thereby threatening the competitive pr... [download for more]
