No subject


Tue Apr 3 04:21:04 UTC 2007


gel =0A=
filled, but apparently this makes it more heat tollerant and reliable on =
hot =0A=
days) The switches are inter-connected in a spider web fashion. This way =
they =0A=
are fault tollerant and there are several paths to each user. By using =
secure =0A=
managed switches it is possible to insulate users so that unlike cable =
(HSF) =0A=
networks, users only get packets meant for them (on cable networks your =
modem =0A=
recieves packets meant for everyone and picks out the packets for you. =
On a =0A=
cable network the theoretical speed is 10mb, but because of collision =
you only =0A=
really get less than 1mb (in central Melb, Optus cable speeds have been =
tested =0A=
recently as low as 450K!)</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Their first network, running at 10mb and using standard =
netgear =0A=
switches in weatherproof shells and powered by power-over-ethernet (i.e. =
one =0A=
cable to each switch was ddicated to provide 4 and 12 volt power for the =
next =0A=
switch in the loop) had a reliability of 76% (most of this was due to =
the =0A=
switches overheating in the middle of the day) So they opened them up =
and =0A=
soldered in additional fans and heatsinks. This increased reliability of =
the =0A=
switches to 83%. Which isn't bad considering what they were and how they =
were =0A=
installed!. </P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>They also ran some initial connections by putting =
a&nbsp;5 port =0A=
switch in every&nbsp;third house along a street (port 1 connected to the =0A=
previous switch, port two to the house where the switch was installed, =
ports 3 =0A=
and 4 to the houses either side, and the 5th port to the next switch. =
The =0A=
cabling was run to the pole, and strung from pole to pole. When they =
went to =0A=
Power-Over-Ethernet and could put the switches outside in weatherproof =
boxes, =0A=
because the cabling was already there, they had a base to start with.</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG>Costs:</STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>For externally mounted switches that are provided to us =
already =0A=
ruggedised it would cost AU$240 per switch.</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>If we purchased Netgear switches, like they did, and =
ruggedised =0A=
them ourselves we could bring this down to $180 plus the cost of the =
plastic =0A=
weatherproof shells. Cat6 cable is fairly cheap.</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Cost per user initially would be, including rollout =
costs, in the =0A=
avenue of $150-$200 per house. Cost for the internet backbone and comms =
centre =0A=
would be about another $200 per user. Therefore total rollout would be =
at max =0A=
$400 per house.</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG>Problems:</STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>1. Heat on the switches. But this, like anything else =
can be dealt =0A=
with.</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>2. Local Council. I think that they could be bought =
around to =0A=
understanding the benefits involved to business and residential users, =
but they =0A=
may pose a problem to getting access to place a cable on the poles. The =
cost of =0A=
digging up to lay cable would be around $100 per meter, which is =
prohibitively =0A=
expensive (adds around $1000 per house). They could argue that more =
cables would =0A=
make the poles ugly (although Telstra recently got permission with no =
fee =0A=
imposed to put up additional 30 core phone cables in most suburbs). </P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG>What would we charge?</STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Several possibilities abound. I would propose this...</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG>$12 per month for limited access to the network. =0A=
</STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>This would let them download at 1mb from people in the =
same =0A=
geographical area (where it costs us only the infrastructure cost to =
service). =0A=
They would be allowed peer to peer with the houses around them but NO =
internet =0A=
access or access into our core network.</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG>$19.95 per month for semi-limited =
access</STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>All above but includes access to our mirror server at =
1mb</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>&nbsp;</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG>$39.95 per month</STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Access to local geographical area at 10mb.</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Access to our mail, hosting, mirror and proxy at 10mb</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Access to internet at 10mb, allowing a certain amount of =
bandwidth =0A=
(i.e. 4gb) Then shaped access(drop down to 128k for internet only) or =0A=
pay-per-meg at whatever fee we are charged by upstream provider.</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>&nbsp;</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG>$149.95 all on!</STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Access to our entire network at 100mb</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Access to our mail, hosting, mirror and proxy at =
100mb</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Access to internet at 10mb with more bandwidth (ie 30 or =
50gb) =0A=
Shape after that to 256k for next 5gb, and 128 from then on. (or =0A=
pay-per-meg)</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>&nbsp;</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG>$299.95 GigaBit!!!!</STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Gigabit access to local area network</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Gigabit access to our core services, mail, hosting, =
mirros servers =0A=
and proxies</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Access to internet at 10mb with more bandwidth (ie 50gb) =
Shape =0A=
after that to 256k for next 5gb, and 128 from then on. (or =
pay-per-meg)</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>&nbsp;</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><EM>Where do we go from =
here?....</EM></STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><EM>Is there any interest in =
Coffs?</EM></STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><EM>Send this email to everyone you know on =
internet in =0A=
coffs and see whether this project interests them?</EM></STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><EM>If anyone knows someone on council who would =
like to =0A=
be involved or who can advise as to the requirements and questions about =
council =0A=
above, then please email this to them for their =
comment.</EM></STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><EM>I am willing to set this up as a =
Not-for-Profit style =0A=
community organisation if enough members of the community want to also =
be =0A=
involved. This may bring down the costs per user by a fraction or =0A=
two.</EM></STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>&nbsp;</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><EM>Cheers</EM></STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>&nbsp;</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><EM>Email: <A =0A=
href=3D"mailto:networkcoffs at mclachlandigital.com">networkcoffs at mclachland=
igital.com</A></EM></STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft><STRONG><EM>Forum for this will be mounted by this =
weekend =0A=
at:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <A =0A=
href=3D"http://networkcoffs.mclachlandigital.com">http://networkcoffs.mcl=
achlandigital.com</A></EM></STRONG></P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>&nbsp;</P>=0A=
<P align=3Dleft>Any other towns that would like something similar, email =
me and a =0A=
section of the forum and a seperate group email account will be created =
for you. =0A=
I would be happy to work on this for more than one =0A=
locality.</P></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>
------_=_NextPart_001_01C3D3BD.DD97A5F0--



More information about the chlug mailing list