User's Manual

Best Price/Performance
Wireless mesh networks can significantly reduce the labor costs
and lead times of network installation by eliminating a signifi-
cant amount of backhaul cabling. However, these savings will not
be realized if the cost of the mesh hardware is too high or if too
many nodes or auxiliary devices are needed to build a reliable
mesh. Firetide HotPort mesh networks provide exceptional value
with the lowest cost per node of any high-capacity mesh solution.
HotPort mesh nodes provide excellent wireless connectivity for
maximum coverage at each location, and no auxiliary servers or
additional devices are required to support larger node popula-
tions.
Easy to Deploy/Instant Mesh Network
Firetide HotPort mesh networks greatly simplify network deploy-
ment by eliminating network backhaul cabling and streamlining
the process of provisioning and managing wireless networks. Af-
ter basic configuration and startup, HotPort nodes automatically
find each other to form the wireless mesh. The network automati-
cally heals itself if a node goes down or if a path between nodes
is blocked. Minimal network management is required to deploy
the network. Network management is provided with an intuitive
graphical interface on a workstation that can be connected ei-
ther directly to the mesh or remotely via the Internet.
Mesh Management Using HotView Software
HotView™ mesh management software provides live monitoring,
as well as local and remote management of Firetide HotPort wire-
less mesh networks. The software features an intuitive graphical
user interface and provides complete access to all mesh and indi-
vidual node settings, including security, VLANs, traffic prioritiza-
tion, radio power controls, and Network Gateway Interconnects.
Live monitoring features include mesh and node statistics and
a graphical view that uses node icons to indicate active con-
nections. Users can also import graphics of floor plans or maps.
The icons for each node can be moved over the graphics to show
where they are physically located.
Security
The HotPort mesh network includes several layers of security, in-
cluding AES key and WEP encryption.
AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption can be used
to protect data exchanged between any two nodes in a wireless
mesh. When AES encryption is enabled for a wireless mesh, all
payload data leaving the nodes in the mesh is encrypted using
128- or 256-bit keys. The data remains encrypted as it passes
through the intermediate nodes and is only decrypted at the end
node where it leaves the mesh network. This provides end-to-end
security for the customer data passing through the HotPort wire-
less mesh.
WEP (Wired Equivalent Policy) supports 40/64- and 104/128-bit
encryption to protect all traffic on the mesh, including routing
and management traffic. This can be used to protect traffic over
the wireless links.
For additional security, a proprietary mesh protocol prevents
non-HotPort devices from participating on the mesh. Secure
network access can also be provided for applications that do not
allow Wi-Fi client services by connecting computers to the mesh
directly using cables connected to the Ethernet ports on a Hot-
Port node.
Packet Filtering
HotPort nodes can filter packets based upon the MAC address of
the traffic. You can configure each Ethernet port to deny or per-
mit access for traffic coming from or to specific devices (identified
by the devices’ MAC addresses).
VLANs
The HotPort mesh network includes support for virtual local area
networks (VLANs) to enable traffic to be separated into smaller
groups and application-specific LANs. VLANs allow small groups of
users to operate within their own private space on the mesh, and
they can also improve mesh performance by directing traffic onto
specific VLAN routes. The HotPort mesh supports 802.1Q VLAN tag-
ging of packets entering and exiting the mesh.
You can configure each Ethernet port to operate as part of a
VLAN. A HotPort wireless mesh can support multiple VLANs. You
can assign ports to different VLANs. Only ports belonging to the
same VLAN can switch traffic among themselves. You can create
up to 16 logically separated VLAN networks within a single mesh.
The HotPort mesh also supports VLAN trunks.
Traffic Prioritization
The HotPort system provides three traffic prioritization levels
(Low, Medium, or High) to prioritize traffic on the mesh. This
helps ensure that certain types of traffic requiring high through-
put or continuous service, such as voice, take precedence over
other forms of traffic. Every port on every node on the mesh can
be set to any of these three priority levels.
Product Features
Below are descriptions of some of the HotPort wireless mesh network’s features.
Firetide Instant Mesh Networks 5