One of our climbers took this picture while climbing to do an install for a WISP client inside a “golf ball” water tower.
Back Camera
Fluke Networks explains fiber polarity
https://www.flukenetworks.com/blog/cabling-chronicles/b-c-s-fiber-polarity
Polarity defines direction of flow, such as the direction of a magnetic field or an electrical current. In fiber optics, it defines the direction that light signals travels through an optical fiber.
To properly send data via light signals, a fiber optic link’s transmit signal (Tx) at one end of the cable must match the corresponding receiver (Rx) at the other end.
Newish Mikrotik Feature: Protected Bootloader
https://wiki.mikrotik.com/wiki/Manual:RouterBOARD_settings#Protected_bootloader
This is a new feature which allows the protection of RouterOS configuration and files from a physical attacker by disabling etherboot. It is called “Protected RouterBOOT”. This feature can be enabled and disabled only from within RouterOS after login, i.e., there is no RouterBOOT setting to enable/disable this feature. These extra options appear only under certain conditions. When this setting is enabled – both the reset button and the reset pin-hole is disabled. Console access is also disabled. The only ability to change boot mode or RouterBOOT settings is through RouterOS. If you do not know the RouterOS password – only a complete format is possible.
MTIN announces new plans effective October 31 2018
Due to several opportunities, MTIN is moving toward collapsed support plan style. We will only be offering a contract support model and best effort service.
Contract Support
Customers purchase a minimum 5 hour block for $445. Rates are billed as follows.
Normal Business Hours (8am-5pm EST time) $89 per hour
Late night & Weekend support $125 per hour
Contract customers will use a minimum of 1 hour a month for remote monitoring services, firmware, and other notifications, as well as any general maintenance tasks in order to keep documentation and other aspects of the network up to date for our technicians. Remote Backups, security audits, and other services which MTIN hosts for the customer can be included in the one-hour minimum.
The goal with contract customers is to build a long-term relationship in order to help their networks grow and thrive. By being engaged with the customer on a regular basis we are able to provide better service and have a better handle on customer needs. As networks become more and more complicated having a consultant who has is more a partner than a hired gun is becoming valuable to an operator.
Tier II emergency response times for Tier II customers.
Normal working hours (3 hour maximum)
Late night and weekend (5 hour maximum)
Best Effort Plan
Customers pay as they go for best effort support. Support is available on a best effort service and first come first serve.
Normal Business Hours (8am-5pm EST time) $119 per hour
Late night & Weekend support $145 per hour
Policy details
1. Late night and Weekend is defined as. 9PM-9AM EST MONDAY-FRIDAY & 7PM EST FRIDAY -9AM Monday. Contract Customers can schedule maintenance windows and such at a discounted rate ahead of time.
2. All customers who don’t have pre-purchased time will be served on a best effort service. Priority will be given to contract customers, and then “walk-in” customers.
3. All times stated are maximum times for response. Depending on workload, times are typically much less.
4. Contact MTIN for details on this new plan.
Cambium and Management vlans
Just a quick diagram on how to separate Management traffic on an ePMP network. The aps and CPE are in bridge mode in this setup. The Cambium CPE are in bridge mode with CNPilot routers doing PPPoE, which the ISP has control over as a managed router.
Our netonix has a tagged vlan for the management interface and an untagged vlan for the customer (PPPoE traffic).
The mikrotik router is trunked to the netonix on port 12 to complete this setup.
One Way to setup your Baicells POP
Internet Freedom transparency rule for xISPs service
The Federal Communications Commission’s Internet Freedom transparency rule, 47 CFR § 8.1, requires an Internet service provider, or ISP, to publicly disclose information about its network management practices, performance characteristics, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services.
https://www.fcc.gov/isp-disclosures
MTIN is now offering a full turnkey service for your website to be compliant with the Internet Freedom Transparency rule. We have two options. For a document you fill in yourself it is $200. For a turnkey document, you can export to HTML or link to a PDF from your site it is $300.
Supporting Cable
From the archives – Evolution of a network guy part 4
In 2006 I was hired on part-time for Purdue University. My days would consist of mornings on Campus at Purdue doing I.T. support for the Agronomy Department and afternoons, evenings, and weekends doing support and build-outs for NDWave. We were in the mode of dumping everything back into the company to get to a solid sustainable position. I didn’t really want to go back to desktop support, but the benefits and part-time position helped to pay off bills we had accumulated with MTIN. Purdue allowed me to meet Donnie Payne. Donnie is an infectious personality sort of person. Just being around him motivates you to do things. Purdue allowed me to work with Mac OSX Xserves, cutting-edge Linux servers, and special projects. One of the coolest projects I worked on included remote sensor trailers. We had servers, remote reboots, and had to deal with how to get connectivity out in BFE. Several sites had cellular or satellite uplinks. I was able to apply my ISP knowledge to this project.
NDWave exposed us to lots of rockstars in the ISP industry. JohnnyO and his crew helping with removing feedhorns from a tower is something I will never forget. Sitting outside a hotel with him cooking dinner. Guys like Chuck Hogg, who helped the industry in several ways and is just a plain cool cat. The work alone has opened up friendships which were well worth any long days. Guys like Jay Panozzo, who are not directly connected with the WISP industry, but have their parts. Jay owns Midamerica Towers and is a Man among men. Jay sets the bar for the tower professional.
I continued to dedicate time to Purdue and Ndwave until April 2008. One month before Omnicity took over management of the NDWave network I became a full time employee. Omnicity started out good, but quickly went downhill after a year for me. With all the lawsuits in place that is about all I will say about that.
After being separated form Omnicity I continued to keep my head above water with steady consulting from companies I had helped over the past couple of years. Kenny Johnson at Mooreland ISP and Scott Reed at NewWays were two of my best customers. I truly understood what it was like to be the one the buck stops with. When you have a tower outage at 1AM. the customer does not care except they have no Internet. Early morning climbs to repair Aps in the dead of winter were not uncommon. That is part of what it takes. Being a former owner really helped me connect with what these guys are going through.
Things were slow so I was able to re-group some. I did not mess with much technology except when I had to. I took a step back and concentrated on the activities I enjoyed. I stepped up collecting G.I. Joe figures visited more friends, and generally did non-tech related things. This in itself expanded those I call friends. My mind and soul needed that healing. Then a funny thing happened. I started writing this blog, becoming active on mailing lists again, and generally became interested in the technology again. I started gaining more and more consulting clients and working with more and more networks. Ubiquiti was just starting to come on the scene, Mikrotik was a mature platform, and prices were starting to come down on gear. I remember sitting around 3 years ago thinking I needed to step up what I am doing. It took me up until then to realize I had enough experience and stuff running around in my head to be an expert. I have watched so-called experts screw up even the simplest things.
In the past couple of years, things have really blossomed in the Industry and I have had the pleasure of being a part of some of it. When you look back on this there are certain key points where you take leaps and bounds. Once I was able to step back and further enjoy things that next leap up was taken. This allowed me to open new pathways of thinking too. My confidence soared, my shyness subsided, and life got better. I attribute this to those who have influenced my life, and the experiences we have shared.
Stripping wireless gear off a 120 foot tower in Chicago with Mike Hammett is one of my fondest memories. The work was hard and long, but having the comrade in arms with you to do it make up for it. There is a bond that is formed which last a lifetime. Mike is one of those guys you want to see succeed. I am fortunate to have been in a position on a couple of occasions to help him when it would have been a paid for him to hire it out.
This brings us to present day…
Continued in part 5 (the conclusion I promise)
From the archives – Evolution of a network guy part 3
One night I am sitting in my office wondering what is next for MTIN and I get a call from Steve Narducci in Anderson, Indiana. Steve has this idea he wants to start an ISP. I call up one of my good friends Chris Orr. Chris and I had become good friends out of a chance meeting of him stopping by the office for some thermal Paste. I instantly knew Chris was of the same kind of mold I was. Chris had been hanging out at the office and helping with MTIN for sometime now. Chris is the best *NIX engineer I have ever seen. So I call Chris and ask if he wants to make a little money and so something enjoyable. I think it took Chris awhile to realize I don’t let much hold me back and life is all about going for opportunities or creating ones.
Early one Saturday morning in 2006 Chris, Amber, and I head to Anderson Indiana to hang the first Access Points for what would become ndwave.com. We had been prepping for this for months. T1 line had been ordered, servers built, and equipment ordered and delivered. Little did any of us know we were on the verge of something great. Through a small team we were able to grow to over 1,000 customers under 2 years. Working with NDWave was one of the first times I had the complete package. I had the freedom to shape a growing network and the financial backing to do it. I was as unrestricted as I could get. I felt like I had finally arrived into what I was supposed to be doing. We were working hard and long hours, but it was fun. There is an old saying that goes something like “If you find a profession you truly love, you will never have to work another day in your life”.
During this time I really was able to get to Know Rick Harnish. Rick is the Marlon Brando of the the Wireless ISP world. Rick was eager to share what he knew and help everyone around him grow. Having someone like Rick to have conversations with was a huge asset. He was a major pipeline to the innovation and direction other WISPs were going. Plus Rick is just a plain cool guy.
NDWave really established my credibility in the ISP world. I had been looking for that recognition for quite awhile. Folks like Michael Pelsor, & Debbie Seal would be added to the “family”. These are folks who I consider friends to this day. It was like TCTC all over again. We were on the leading edge of this Wireless ISP wave. The technology was becoming easier to use and more affordable. This meant the average person could now afford reliable service delivered via Wireless. We were growing into areas where there was no broadband. It was kind of like the Wild West gold rush. There were weeks NDWave was putting up 3-4 towers. I was getting to work with Mikrotik, Cisco, Tranzeo, and some other manufacturers. Life was good. We had a fiber feed, rack space at a Premier data center, and got to play with other cool toys.
Then Omnicity comes along and things change yet again….