1. A Wireless ISP Primer
Tranzeo Wireless
BC3/FNTC Regional Workshop
2. Who is Tranzeo?
• Tranzeo Wireless Technologies Inc.
(TSX:TZT) has emerged as an industry
leader in designing, manufacturing and
distributing high-speed wireless
broadband communication systems
globally.
3. Tranzeo’s Competitive Advantage
• Ease of doing business with us
• Quality & Reliability of our products
• Our very qualified Tech Support Group
• Sales Support – help design the most
efficient & cost effective solutions
• Cost effective solutions/low risk solutions
4. Key Wireless Elements
• Proper preparation through site surveys,
marketing and business plan
• The right equipment chosen for your
unique location
• Great support staff to service all your
wireless needs
• Professional Installers
• A strong working relationship between
client and vendor
5. There is no WISP in a box
• Every location has unique needs
• There is no “Swiss Army Knife” of radios
• A good vendor will help you plan out the
system based on your plans and your
locations
6. Bandwidth Feed
• Make sure your feed meets your needs for
the short term, and can be scaled up for a
reasonable cost in the future
• The supplier of your bandwidth holds your
business in their hands, choose wisely
7. Bandwidth Control
• Wireless requires bandwidth control
• Bandwidth should be controlled on two
levels, intranet and internet
• Kazaa, games, virus of the hour, are not
the only issue.
• Speeding up some classes of service at
the expense of others makes for happier
customers, i.e. high speed for Mail,VoiP,
Video; low speed for Kazaa
8. User Control
• Get paid for your bandwidth
• WEP - Wired Equivalent Privacy
• MAC AUTHENTICATION
• WPA - Wi-Fi Protected Access
• Radius Server - provides remote
user authentication
• PPPOE - Pt.toPt. Protocol
over Ethernet
• QOS - Quality of Service
9. Site Survey
• Not a option in more crowded environments
• Calculations must be tested in the real world
• Put it up and see what happens is a recipe for
disaster
10. Site Survey
• A site survey will:
– Suggest the quantity and position of access
points
– What antenna type to use
– What channels are available and work best
11. Access Point Location Selection
• Generally, cost determines the location,
not RF, in the real world
• Where can you get tower space?
• Where can you get bandwidth?
• How much is it going to cost?
12. 802.11b
• (DSSS) Direct Sequence Spread
Spectrum
• Cost effective solution for Point to
Multipoint
• Uses 2.4 GHz bandwidth.
• Bandwidth is becoming crowded in many
areas
13. 802.11a
• OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing)
• Cost effective solution for Point to Point
feeds- up to 40 miles plus.
• Point to Multi-Point solutions for high
throughput requirements
• Low cost client units now available
• Uses 5.2 to 5.8 GHz
14. Channels – 2.4GHz
• 802.11b operates in an unlicensed area of
the 2.4GHz ISM (Industry, Scientific Medical)
frequency band.
• Each channel is 22MHz wide
• To minimize interference each radio needs
to be spaced 25MHz apart
15. Channels – 2.4GHz
• Since the spectrum is only 80 MHz wide,
that means that in any area, you can have
at most three non-interfering access
points.
• Studies have shown that a 20 MHz spread
has minimal effect
16. 802.11a – 5.8 GHz
• 5 non-overlapping channels in upper band
• 4 non-overlapping channels in middle
band
• Lower band is illegal in North America
• Channels are 20 MHz apart
17. Line of sight is more than being
able to see the tower
18. Fresnel Zones
• The Fresnel zone is a elliptical area which
can not contain obstacles
19. Polarization
• Horizontal vs. Vertical
• Horizontal Benefits
– +20 db from most sources of ISM (Industry,
Scientific and Medical Band) noise
– Better multipath results
• Vertical Benefits
– Less Expensive
– In the past it was easier to find Vertical
Equipment
20. Weather
– As a general rule, wireless frequencies are
not impacted by rains, snow, or thick fog
– At 2.4 GHz, attenuation is 0.01 dB/Km for
150mm/hr of rain
21. Signal Propagation/Free Space
Loss
• Radio Waves lose power over distance,
according to a fixed formula, called the
Free Space loss. The greater the
distance, the more will be lost.
22. TX Power
• TX power is the amount of power a radio
transmits. Generally, the longer the
distance you want to go, the more power
you need.
• Power is not the most important element
of a link, receive is!
23. RX Power
• Rx Power is the lowest level at which a Radio
can detect signal from noise.
• The Lower the level, the better the radio.
• As opposed to:
RX Sensitivity – which is a measurement of the
weakest signal a receiver can receive and still
correctly translate it into data (-75dB is better
than -90dB in actual performance)
24. EIRP (Effective Isotropic Radiated Power)
• A measurement of the total output of the
system, including the antenna
• Legal limits exist on the amount of power
you can emit.
25. DB vs DBi vs DBm
• A dB is unit of measure that allows for
easy calculations. Every 3 db increase
means a doubling of power. 20 db = 100
mW, 23 db = 200 mW
• A d(Bm is means a db at a certain level of
resistance. In RF, its 50 ohms. Therefore,
0 dbm = 1 mW at 50 ohms
• A DBi is a measurement of how much an
antenna focuses a signal (gain).
26. Radios
• Integrated Panel - combining both a radio and
an antenna - some have fixed dBm output and
the are some with controllable high gain output –
can be used for outside or inside environments
• N-Connector Panel – radio only with an N-
Connector – LMR cable is used to connect the
unit to a separate antenna
• Indoor radios – radio with connector to allow a
separate antenna to be connector inside or
outside
28. Omni
• Put out a flat, circular pattern
• Best used where AP and clients
are at the same heights
• Patterns change as power changes
• Generally have vertical polarity
29. Sector
• Highly Directional
• Cover a wide range both
horizontally and vertically
• Common degrees of beamwidth are 60, 90
& 120
• Allow for use of a greater
number of channels and
higher radio densities
30. Parabolic Grids
• Highly focused beamwidth
• Excellent for dealing with trees
• Low cost
• Highly recommended for
backhaul use
31. Interference Countermeasures
1. Try to keep links short, as Fresnel
increases over distance
2. Avoid the noise by using tight Beam
Antennas
3. Use a different Frequency or polarization
4. Try a different Antenna
5. Move the Antenna to a different location
32. Customer Premise Equipment
• Key to your success
• Proper device selection means no “truck
rolls” (on site service)
• Improper solutions cost you customers
and waste your time
33. Why not use a cheap SOHO device
• SOHO (small office, home office) devices are made
to go hundreds of yards, proper CPE
equipment is designed to go miles
• Generally vertically polarized
• Not FCC certified if modified.
• Warranty usually voided if modified
• Not tested for outdoor use
• Often use Omni or vertical Antennas
34. Power Over Ethernet
• Makes installation simpler and cheaper
• No cable loss
• Must follow manufacturer instructions
35. Cost of Equipment
• Lowest cost is not always the best for
bottom line
• Neither is high cost a guarantee of
success
• Tranzeo Solutions
start at as low
as $157 CDN
36. Support Costs
• Like any ISP operation, there will be
support costs.
• If the head end is set
up right, and the installer
follows the basic rules,
the install should work
without an issue
37. Other items
• Plan for a 1% equipment fallout rate per
year.
• Weather should not increase support calls,
unless it is freezing rain
38. Optimizing ROI
• Standardize on two or three models.
• Use gear that can be repurposed.
• (Our products are backward compatible)
• Avoid proprietary standards if possible
• Plan to recover CPE costs as soon as
possible
• Investigate leasing the equipment
39. What should a vendor Provide
• Support
– How long is the support period? Ours is life of
product.
– How can I get in contact with support – toll
free line
• Warranty
– 1 Year from purchase
40. Vendors
• Are they familiar with operating a WISP?
• Tranzeo is – Whistler, Port Coquitlam
• Do they offer training?
• Are they FCC certified/certifiable?
• What do other ISP’s think of them
• Do they upgrade their technology in new
units or firmware (internal software)
41. BC3/FNTC - Specific Topics
• Implementation
• Support
• Range
• Cost
• Appropriate Conditions
• Problems with product
42. Implementation
• How do we do this?
- Business Plan – needs established? Budget?
- How many clients – throughput
expectations
- what is the topography like? – line of
sight issues? Maps/Photographs/Sketches
- location of equipment – distances
• Time
- when do you need to start/finish? Seasonal
issues?
- discuss with vendor equipment options &
prices
43. Support
• Tranzeo Tech Support Group – 5 staff
7:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Training – at Tranzeo or on site – there is
a cost!
• Your Regional Manager – provides
information for the most efficient and
cost effective solutions
44. Range
• 2.4 GHz
• Point to Multipoint – depending on radios and
antennas used/line of sight – up to15 miles+
• Point to Point – up to 10 miles
• 5.8GHz
• Point to Multipoint – up to 10 miles
• Point to Point – up to 40 miles+
45. Cost
2.4GHz Radios/Integrated Antennas
- CPE’s – from $157 to $240
- Access Points & PtxPt - from $263 to $499
5.8GHz Radios/Integrated Antennas & Systems
- Access Points & PtxPt - from $274 to $1,243
Separate Antennas – both frequencies
- depending on type – from $72 to $343
46. Appropriate Conditions
• Site Survey – are there seasonal
considerations? – leaves on trees!
• Your own qualified Tech support staff will
know
• Equipment can be installed in most
weather conditions
• Most radios certified from -65 C to +60 C
47. Problems with Products
• Tranzeo Tech Support
• Less than 1% failure rate
• Always have a spare unit available
• Usually not the radio/antenna unit – install
related
• Firmware Upgrades
48. Questions:
• Dieter Kloepper
• Regional Manager, Western Canada & Middle East
• Tranzeo Wireless Technologies Inc.
• 20155 Stewart Crescent (Moving soon to Pitt Meadows)
• Maple Ridge BC, Canada V2X 0T6
• Ph: 604-460-6002 local 111; Fax: 604-460-6005
• Toll free: 1-866-872-6936
• Tech Support direct: 1-888-460-6366
• dkloepper@tranzeo.com
• www.tranzeo.com
• Product Feedback - feedback@tranzeo.com
• Product wishlist - wishlist@tranzeo.com
• Rob Campbell – Tranzeo Wireless Network Services – Whistler
• rcampbell@tranzeo.com (1-604-935-4696)
