We sometimes hear that mesh is an “overkill” and “why do you need redundancy in the first place?” If the network is designed properly (the skeptics continue), you don’t need redundant links anyway.
Aside from special situations when moving machinery can block your line of sight (such as in ports, mines, industrial facilities, warehouses, or construction sites), is there a case for redundant links in installations that don’t experience variations in line-of-sight conditions?
Absolutely! Just look at the pictures below:
Downed pole over a commuter train line
Electric pole damaged in a car accident
Light pole down at a stadium, apparently due to age
So while today’s wireless equipment is extremely reliable, the infrastructure it goes on – not so much. Weather, age, defects in construction, drunk (or distracted) drivers – these are the ‘hazards’ that often call for redundancy in wireless design.
Redundancy of course comes at a cost – in equipment and installation labor. But you should definitely consider it for your critical links – the ones that aggregate traffic from multiple cameras, for example, on the way to the command center.
I should also note that Firetide “pays you back” some of the investment in a redundant architecture by allowing you to load balance your traffic across multiple links. During the normal operation of your network, your redundant link is not just idling, waiting for a failure to occur, but can actively participate in increasing overall capacity of your network.
For more topics on wireless network design, see:
- Network Design Considerations for Wireless Video Surveillance
- How Long Does Mesh Go?
- Successful Mesh Design and Deployment: Step by Step
- When Wireless Video Mesh is Not ‘True’ Mesh (But Better)
/Images sourced via “pole down” web search
By Ksenia Coffman – Connect with me on Twitter or LinkedIn.
kseniacoffman
