[Troop139] FW: BBHN 1.0.1 for Ubiquiti Released

Sat Feb 1 21:25:25 EST 2014

Hi Folks!
This is a really great step forward in Amateur Radio mesh networking.  These
Ubiquity units were upgraded with special software tailored for Amateur
Radio systems and was tested, by several local Radio Amateurs at St. John
the Evangelist Church in Bergenfield.  It is the same general type of system
that you've seen with the older Linksys units in demonstrations, the Passaic
County Simulated Emergency Test, the Ramapo Rally and the Three Rivers
District STEM weekend and other Scouting activities of Boy Scout Troop 139
and Venture Crew 7373

Kudos to the other testers and to Conrad and Andre for their leadership and
planning of this new networking software.

BTW:  We have been testing Voice over IP (VoIP) via these mesh nodes and it
works VERY WELL!

More on that another time!

Thanks & 73,

Gordon Beattie, W2TTT

201.314.6964

  _____  

Begin forwarded message:

From: Broadband-HamnetTM <webmaster at broadband-hamnet.org>
Date: January 31, 2014 11:25:04 PM EST
To: webmaster at broadband-hamnet.org
Subject: BBHN 1.0.1 for Ubiquiti Released

*** BBHN 1.0.1 for Ubiquiti Released ***

The UBNT release is now available.  It supports the following devices:

   Rocket M2
   Bullet M2 HP
   AirGrid M2 HP
   NanoStation Loco M2 (NSL-M2)
   NanoStation M2 (NS-M2)

BBHN 1.0.1 for Ubiquiti Release Notes

Please keep the following notes in mind when operating these devices and
reporting issues.

Due in large part to the physical differences between Linksys and Ubiquiti
devices, the following list of functional differences should be noted:

DMZ and LAN Port Distinctions

Since the Ubiquiti line of devices has only 1 Ethernet port, the standalone
device only supports one wired-LAN connection.  If you want additional LAN
connections, then you will need to add an outboard Ethernet Switch.
Connecting to that switch may require a cross-over cable rather than the
standard straight-through cable.

If you need the WAN network, then you will require an outboard Ethernet
Switch which supports 802.1q VLANs (virtual LANs).  Typically this would be
a "Managed" switch.  Configure the VLANs as follows:

   Untagged = LAN
   vlan1 = WAN

Note: You will consume 2-ports in this configuration, so if you want to end
up with the equivalent of what the Linksys WRT54 series device offers, then
you will need a 6-port switch.

Look to additional support for this configuration in the UBNT Support Forum.

Off-Channel Operation

Ubiquiti devices will not search for BBHN nodes off-channel.  The configured
channel is the only one on which the device will operate.  We are currently
evaluating the Linksys operational characteristics in this area and will
likely attempt to conform them to this behavior.

Band-edge Vigilance

Linksys devices utilize the 802.11g standard where transmitted data are
contained within 22MHz "channels." However, if neighboring Ubiquiti devices
have high-enough quality RF links, they can ramp up to 802.11n.  This
standard operates within 40MHz channels.  In most all cases this will not be
an issue, because BBHN networks are typically configured to their default,
channel 1.  If you choose a different channel, then care must be taken to
ensure the entire channel remains within its licensed operating spectrum.
For example, if it's being operated on 2.4GHz in the US under Part 97, then
it must be kept on either channel 1 or 2.  All higher numbered channels
could cause the devices to exceed the upper limits of the ham band.

Encryption

These devices can be configured to either permit or prohibit known encrypted
traffic on the RF link.  It is up to you to decide which is appropriate
based on how it will be used and the license under which it will be
operated.  These rules vary by country, frequency, and intended use.  You
are encouraged to read and understand these rules.

These devices are pre-configured with no restrictions as to the type of data
being passed and are currently compatible with the Linksys WRT54G-series
BBHN firmware.

Instructions are provided if you wish to prohibit known encrypted traffic on
the RF link.  This includes: SSL (443), SSH (22), Node SSH (2222), and
Encrypted Email (465, 995, 993).

The forum will not entertain discussions on which of these options is
appropriate for a given situation.  Ultimately the control operator is
responsible for making that determination.

Output Power

Ubiquiti devices output significantly higher power-levels than their Linksys
counterparts.  Based on the model and antenna gain, you can easily exceed 47
CFR Part 15 effective radiated power (EIRP) limits.

We believe the power level control we provide you in the user interface is
generally accurate, although we have reason to believe we may overstate the
actual power level by as much as 3dB in NanoStation Loco M2 configurations.
We would be grateful for anyone with an accurate means of measuring this to
post their observations to the forum.

Power levels for devices with dual-antennas, such as the Rocket M2, when
configured in diversity mode, split the configured power between both
antennas... causing each port to individually be 3db below the configured
power.

Power levels have a dependency on the configured antennas. You may notice
that you cannot set full max power of the device when using only a single
antenna.   You may also notice that you cannot use the minimal power listed
in the power drop down window.  Some of these devices have internal,
off-chip amplifiers which are kept in their linear operating range by
limiting the upper/lower input power levels.

Untested and Unsupported UBNT Devices

The release requires 32MB of memory and 8MB of flash.  Attempting to load
this release into anything smaller will result in an error.  This generally
precludes older models from being supported.

There are two classes of UBNT devices that are not supported:

   Untested: These devices may operate with little or no issues.  However,
because we have not had the opportunity to test and confirm they work with
this release we will not provide technical support for them until we have
done so.  You will see a banner across the GUI indicating this status.
Please do not ask for help with these unless you are prepared to assist in
testing the new device.  We will fit these devices into a subsequent release
as time permits.  Note: "Titanium" devices are internally identified as
distinct from their non-Titanium cousins, so for the time being these will
also fall into this untested category.
   Unsupported: These are devices for which the software is not intended.
They may load the software and they may appear to work to some degree, but
we are not prepared to add them unless and until we have a strategy for code
development and support for them.  You will see a banner across the GUI
indicating the device is not supported.

Support Approach

We have all been amazed at what these devices can do and are sure you will
be excited to build the mesh out with them.  We encourage you to share your
successes, so please post your experiences to the forum.

As a general rule, we will provide priority support to those designing and
implementing a "production" network---those in the process of building to a
committed EMCOMM client.  For those experimenting with this technology or
building out test-beds in a lab environment, we may ask for your patience.
We acknowledge the pent-up excitement around this release and only hope we
can provide a sufficient level of support for those who need us the most.

Having said that, we do have an experienced group of testers who have helped
us get this release out:

   Andrew, KF7JOZ
   Clint, AE5CA
   Doug, W1DUG
   Garry, KD2DDK
   Gordon, W2TTT
   Karl, W2KBF
   Leo, IZ5FSA
   Mark, KD5RXT
   Randy, WU2S
   Richard, W2LCN

They will assist us in getting your questions answered and issues resolved.
As you gain experience with these new devices, we encourage you to join in
and support the newer adopters.

73,

The BBHN Core Team