* Mesh finds increasingly innovative uses
Applications for mesh networking continue to crop up. Mesh is being used to affordably scale municipal networks, as noted in this newsletter’s recent discussion about the new Strix-based network going up this month in Tempe, Ariz.
And next week, we will likely hear about the delivery of mesh-based services in a couple of Silicon Valley cities from MetroFi, a wireless ISP using mesh gear from SkyPilot.
And mesh has also proven to be a good fit for hard-to-wire environments and networks with topologies that change frequently. These include temporary events and construction sites, where a network of a certain size and topology is needed for a period of time, then is dismantled and moves on.
Last week, for example, mesh vendor Firetide noted that its gear is in use at this month’s Texas State Fair in Dallas, covering 277 acres. The application: real-time video surveillance. The Firetide mesh network is reportedly replacing a point-to-point microwave system of past years, which was said to occasionally be compromised by electrical interference generated by fair activity.
The mesh video surveillance system reportedly works as follows: The Dallas Police Department establishes a command center on the Dallas fairgrounds. In addition to off-duty police officers walking the grounds, AgileMesh video servers and software reside in the command center, and video surveillance cameras around the park plug into FireTide HotPort wireless mesh nodes via Ethernet cabling. Four video cameras were reportedly installed along the Midway and two, with full pan, tilt and zoom control, were placed on top of the Cotton Bowl facility. Cameras receive power over Ethernet, eliminating the need for additional power supply and cabling.
As with any mesh architecture, the mesh nodes automatically discover one another over the air and auto-configure themselves, enabling the network to scale simply as nodes are added with no wiring required. In this way, remote cameras can be added without the need for costly network cabling back to a central site; cameras simply plug directly into a mesh node, and the mesh nodes backhaul content wirelessly.
According to Firetide, the surveillance network has already helped police nail vandals and a thief stealing valuable landscaping plants.
