TROPOS METROMESH™ TECHNOLOGY

Tropos Networks has overcome the challenges of deploying wireless broadband networks on a metro-scale, making it possible for enterprises to deliver city-wide broadband coverage quickly, reliably, and economically. The innovative and patented Tropos™ MetroMesh™ architecture is the key to delivering the benefits of metro-scale wireless coverage. MetroMesh offers the performance, low cost, reliability and security that public safety agencies and municipalities need.

Tropos’ MetroMesh is a distributed, intelligent wireless network architecture. In addition to providing the functionality of basic Wi-Fi access points, each Tropos MetroMesh router forwards data through the wireless network to Wi-Fi gateways that connect to the Internet or agency intranet. Tropos MetroMesh routers constantly monitor the wireless transmissions between themselves and their neighbors and, based on this data, compute the optimal data path back to the wired network. Tropos MetroMesh routers, once installed and powered, search for other mesh routers in the network and begin to create RF paths to the backhaul connections to the network. The system self-installs and creates dynamic route tables based upon the best RF paths in your network.

Metropolitan RF environments are surprisingly dynamic. The Tropos MetroMesh OS constantly evaluates the network for best path routing using TCP/IP throughput. The MetroMesh network routes around any RF noise, physical obstructions and other interference, providing optimal performance, throughput and reliability.

A MetroMesh network is comprised of 3 layers:

Capacity Injection Layer - Provides a wired or wireless backhaul connection between gateway mesh routers and the base station which then connects over a wired network for Internet access via the POP.

Mesh Layer - As described above, the wireless mesh layer provides multiple paths between routers and gateways and ensures the best path is taken.

Client Layer - The link between clients and the mesh network can be via Wi-Fi.

UNIQUE TROPOS TECHNOLOGIES

PWRP Routing/RF Management

Predictive Wireless Routing Protocol (PWRP) forms a wireless mesh of routers, dynamically routing traffic along the highest throughput path. PWRP is designed for resiliency and high availability, overcoming challenges introduced by variables such as RF interference, wired backhaul failure and mesh router failure. It scales to thousands of nodes with the lowest routing overhead in the industry. PWRP enables client mobility without need for special client hardware, software or configurations.

SABRE Policy Routing

Tropos designed its Spectrum and Application Based Routing Engine (SABRE) feature to support path redundancy and dynamic fault tolerance in every link of the mesh network. SABRE utilizes policy-based routing for the 4.9GHz frequency band and enables multi-band operation. Policy can be configured to allow public safety to use both 2.4GHz and 4.9GHz clients. For example, public safety traffic can utilize the 4.9GHz band while the 2.4GHz band serves as dynamic fault tolerance in the event of congestion or failure. The 2.4GHz band can be used for lower priority services such as residential access.

CMDP Statistical Processing

Correlated Mesh Data Protocol (CMDP) is an integral component of Tropos Insight, providing vital business statistics such as location, usage, patterns and trends, capacity and performance, subscriber activity and client devices, service levels, and geography. The data used for analysis is taken from information gathered from each router in the mesh network. Each router pre-processes the data before sending it to Tropos Insight for additional processing thus minimizing the amount of traffic it requires during transfer over the network.

AMCE Connectivity Software

Adaptive Mesh Connectivity Engine (AMCE) provides adaptive connectivity to accommodate the wide variation in wireless broadband clients. With hundreds of different Wi-Fi clients available today and WiMax clients on the horizon, it is critical that a wireless metro mesh network have the ability to transparently detect and compensate for the unique characteristics of any attached client. AMCE delivers the reliable connectivity required for a quality end user experience every time and without requiring special client hardware, software or configuration.

MESM Services Software

Mesh Edge Services Management (MESM) is embedded in each router and provides network operators with the means to detect threats (DoS, evil twin) and enforce policies (including manage airtime for users, peer-to-peer traffic blocking, rate limiting, differentiated levels of service) at the edge of the mesh network. As a result, carriers can efficiently manage their wireless mesh networks and can create new revenue generating services.

Tropos Metro Compliant Extensions (TMCX)

Tropos Metro Compliant Extensions (TMCX) is a best practice specification for Wi-Fi devices used for access to metro Wi-Fi networks. TMCX-compliant devices provide the highest performance and reliability when connected to a metro-scale Wi-Fi mesh network, and ensure the network owner delivers the best possible throughput for both fixed and mobile applications, to their end users.