Ball State University Deploys Firetide Wireless Mesh

Ball State University, named Intel's "Most Unwired Campus" in 2005, deployed Firetide's mesh solution to provide students with a variety of wireless services including live video and a mobile WiFi mesh network for the campus shuttle bus.



Firetide nodes are self-forming and self-healing. Because Firetide's mesh is rooted in Ethernet technology, ports can be used for video surveillance cameras as well as other devices. Using redundant paths, the system allows for continuous connectivity if a node is disabled or a line-of-sight obstruction enters the picture.



Equipment for the project included both indoor and outdoor Firetide mesh nodes operating at 5.8 GHz. This frequency was selected to reduce the possibility of contention with other wireless equipment already installed on campus. For its wireless mesh network, the school acquired five Firetide 3203 HotPort outdoor wireless mesh nodes and two Firetide 3103 HotPort indoor wireless mesh nodes. Gateway connections in nearby buildings linked the wireless mesh to the rest of the schools' wired campus network.

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