An old customer of ours had quite a problem, they had several PC’s they needed attached to the local Intranet but the PC’s were located slightly over 1KM away from the central switch. Why would they have a several PC’s that far away from the central switch? Well they own a 54 hold golf resort and have snack stands located throughout the course. While lots of golfers certainly carry cash on them a handful only have credit card, or prefer credit card because it’s easier to expense. So the golf course needed a way to connect back to the central Point of Sale system with nothing more than twisted pair copper ran to each location.

The first quote they go was to run fiber to each location which would have cost nearly $15,000 dollars. While the resort could certainly afford the fees it was hardly worthy investment. So they called us seeing if we had any sort of solution that would have allowed them too easily and cost effectively fix the solution. We weren’t quite sure what the distances were so we had to go out and use a Black Box device to measure. Once we did we realized it well within the range of the VX-VEB160R2 and we can still push over 40Mb of total bandwidth to these locations using the VX-VEB60R2.

 We extended the resort a 30 day trial to use the product and make sure it worked properly and within a week they had not only bought that pair but had bought 4 more pair and were looking for other innovative ways to use this that even included putting security cameras in remote spots, turning other areas into easily accessible vending areas and providing WiFi for iPhones and Blackberry’s at the driving range for customers needing to answer email and send files. They managed to save nearly $14,000 while still providing a great service to the customers. One they will see an ROI on.

For Further Information on the VX-VEB165 contact info@versatek.com.

Deploying an Outdoor Wi-Fi Network.

While most of our customers are extremely well versed in deploying indoor WLAN networks, we still get a TON of questions on how to deploy an outdoor WLAN network. While some of semantics are the same (Using PoE when you can, Using NetStumbler to get a correct signal reading, etc.). Sometimes though, it’s just not that easy, distance limitations’ on how far Cat 5 can go, really hurt.

You cannot just put an Access Point every 100 Meters outdoors (distance limitation of CAT5E). If you do it becomes counter redundant. You then have too much signal and the access points begin to interfere with each other. The best solution is to use WDS (Wireless Distribution System). This way you can adequately separate each WAP (Wireless Access Point) from the next for the best performance while maintain stability. This dedicates each access point to stay connected with another access point, which is better than just standard Mesh which is often hit or miss.

Start by finding the nearest place you can install a POE Injector then run a CAT5E cable from there to where you want the WAP in order power it. Make sure the WAP is within eye site of the WAP you want it to connect to for optimal signal. For better distance it’s often best to amp the antenna and then use a high gain antenna when connected back to the original WAP. One problem a lot of people encounter is the fact that 2.4GHz is so widely used and can be interfered with easily from anything from a microwave to a cordless phone. So if someone makes a simple phone call the whole network can go down.

One simple way around this is to use 802.11A standard to WDS and the 802.11G standard to distribute within the local area. This way the “backbone” won’t be interfered with when people go to connect anything from their cell phones to their laptops to your network. The best WAP to use would be an outdoor weatherproof dual radio access point, this way you won’t be overloading it and it will easily be able to handle hundreds of customers.

Other things you may want to ensure are that the Client Separation mode is turned on. This way if you are running a hotspot in something like a campground or a trailer park, guest will be able to safely and securely connect to your network without having to worry about if someone can see what files they have shared. Also the ability to do WPA and WEP over the back bone is key for ensuring the best security for your network.

One product that can easily achieve all of this is our own Versa Technology VX-BW225. This supports:

• Simultaneously supports 802.11a and 802.11b/g standard.
• Mix of AP and Bridge configuration works simultaneously, blanketing last miles with high-speed throughput.
• Dual AP configuration for both 802.11b/g and 802.11a users in a high client density environment.
• Dual Bridge (repeater) configuration to extend the transmission range of wireless local bridge.

The VX-BW225 250MW Dual Radio 2.4GHz/5GHz Weatherproof Outdoor WAP also includes a Dynamic Channel Allocation (DCA) solution that automatically selects optimal operational frequency channel during power up. This way the network will be least susceptible to interference. It also comes equipped in an aluminum-alloy frame-resistant with waterproof design housing, and is able to operate even under extreme weather conditions. An integrated IEEE 802.3af Power-over-Ethernet port enables effortless deployment in various environments.

If you have any further questions about correctly deploying an outdoor WLAN with this product feel free to contact info@versatek.com

August 15, 2008, Chino CA - Versa Technology (www.versatek.com) is pleased to announce a new addition to its product line, the VX-VEB160R2. The VX-VEB160R2 Extends Ethernet up to 300 meters at 100Mbps downstream, 55 Mbps upstream and 1km with speeds of 30mbps/6mbps, respectively. The VX-VEB160R2 Ethernet Extender has a switching architecture that supports two RJ-45 Ethernet port for data and two RJ-11 phone jacks; one for the VDSL connection and one for POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) connection.

As bandwidth needs increase, especially with IPTV Triple Play video becoming more and more commonplace, the VX-VEB160R2 can fill in the gaps and cut cost by over 1000% versus digging for new fiber. Using just standard twisted pair while supplying up to 100Mbps, the VX-VEB160R2 really extends the network with the ability to provide up to four 100 Mbps connections on a single Cat 5e cable using four CO devices and four CPE devices.

The VX-VEB160R2 also provides the following:
• One box design, CO / CPE selectable via DIP Switch;
• Supports up to 1536 bytes packet size, IEEE 802.1Q VLAN tag transparent;
• Selectable target data rate and target SNR margin.

"While network capacity is growing exponentially, so has the cost of developing new network infrastructures. The VX-VEB160R2 Ethernet Extender allows operators to leverage existing copper lines, to provide triple play bandwidth to the end user." Said Michael Lui, Vice President of North American Sales, about why this product will help operators in North America grow. "Not only does this give operators a cost effective solution but it also gives them a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ when building new networks with a pre-existing infrastructure."

Ethostream (www.ethostream.com), a Telkonet Company, is already using the product to deploy high speed internet access to hotel guest across the country. "We are extremely excited with the flexibility the VX-VEB160R2 gives us. Being able to take advantage of the existing copper infrastructure to deliver Ethernet speeds at a low cost allows us to gain the upper hand," explains Matt Koch, Vice President of Hospitality Solutions. "Sometimes retrofitting existing networks isn’t as easy as running new cable or fiber and with construction cost often breaking the bank, the VX-VEB160R2 allows us to update existing networks while adding little cost to the customer."

Availability and Testing

The VX-VEB160R2 is available now and is already being deployed in networks across the world. Currently products are offered with a free 30 day trial to ensure that you get exactly what you are paying for.

Magnets

One of the great features about the VX-VEB160R2 on the bottom of the unit, this way they can be mounted to anything from a Managed switch to a Rail in a central office.

About Versa Technology

Versa Technology, located in Chino, California, is a company that provides both fiber and copper for last mile solution. With worldwide offices in Korea, China and the United States, Versa Technology has taken advantage of the global marketplace to grow at an amazing pace. Versa Technology provides a wide range of copper solutions, giving service providers the choice of ADSL2+, VDSL and VDSL2. Versa Technology also provides FTTH Solutions to providers looking to deploy next generation fiber optic networks. Versa Technology is one of the few companies in the world that can provide the complete last mile solution.