Your Thoughts on MeshAP
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2004 4:19 pm
Hi everyone.
I'm looking for input from persons that have used the "MeshAP" software available at http://locustworld.com.
I hope to use MeshAP at several locations to develop an emergency wireless network for County Emergency Services. I like the idea of overlapping coverage areas and redundant Internet gateways offered by the mesh system. My hope is that with this network, even if NO Internet access is available, the wireless mesh can still be used to deliver traffic between all points in the mesh, and that it would dynamic reconfigure the routing if additional nodes would be added.
I experimented with MeshAP a bit on my own over the past few days, and so far have found the hardware support and general workmanship to be a little lacking (doesn't seem to hand out DHCP leases when using an Orinoco Gold Card, doesn't always pick up the config from Wiana correctly, etc.) It's very possible I just don't know what I'm doing at this point.
I read through the FAQs on the MeshAP board, but I'm still left with a few questions.
1. Is the wireless mesh technology too good to be true?
2. What is your viewpoint on wireless mesh networks?
3. Is MeshAP in particular a reliable technology?
4. In my "No Internet" scenario listed above, would all the nodes in the one mesh be on the same subnet, or would all this have to be statically set and coordinated beforehand?
5. A more specific MeshAP question: Where can I find a bootable floppy disk image that will turn over control to finish booting MeshAP off of the CD-ROM? One of the computers I have access to use for this project does not offer an option in BIOS to boot from CD.
I respect the expertise on this board, and am looking for your recommendations. If the response is favorable, the network will start out with us local hams setting up the network, and then soliciting other volunteers to fill in the gaps.
Brian Klier, N0QVC
I'm looking for input from persons that have used the "MeshAP" software available at http://locustworld.com.
I hope to use MeshAP at several locations to develop an emergency wireless network for County Emergency Services. I like the idea of overlapping coverage areas and redundant Internet gateways offered by the mesh system. My hope is that with this network, even if NO Internet access is available, the wireless mesh can still be used to deliver traffic between all points in the mesh, and that it would dynamic reconfigure the routing if additional nodes would be added.
I experimented with MeshAP a bit on my own over the past few days, and so far have found the hardware support and general workmanship to be a little lacking (doesn't seem to hand out DHCP leases when using an Orinoco Gold Card, doesn't always pick up the config from Wiana correctly, etc.) It's very possible I just don't know what I'm doing at this point.
I read through the FAQs on the MeshAP board, but I'm still left with a few questions.
1. Is the wireless mesh technology too good to be true?
2. What is your viewpoint on wireless mesh networks?
3. Is MeshAP in particular a reliable technology?
4. In my "No Internet" scenario listed above, would all the nodes in the one mesh be on the same subnet, or would all this have to be statically set and coordinated beforehand?
5. A more specific MeshAP question: Where can I find a bootable floppy disk image that will turn over control to finish booting MeshAP off of the CD-ROM? One of the computers I have access to use for this project does not offer an option in BIOS to boot from CD.
I respect the expertise on this board, and am looking for your recommendations. If the response is favorable, the network will start out with us local hams setting up the network, and then soliciting other volunteers to fill in the gaps.
Brian Klier, N0QVC