Review: Networking On A Low-Fiber Diet

Clearmesh Networks networking fiber optics

Fiber is a great way to build networks. It offers speed, reliability and incredible bandwidth. But it's very expensive to pull fiber between locations, since getting the permits, digging trenches and doing the installation can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

With its Clearmesh 300, Clearmesh eliminates the hassles of fiber by shifting the networking signal -- light waves in this case -- to an above-ground installation. Integrators can install the self-contained, infrared-based networking product on rooftops or phone poles. There are only two major requirements: line of sight and power.

The Clearmesh 300 contains three network transceivers, each of which can be individually aimed at other Clearmesh units. The idea is to build a mesh of devices, which then employ automatic rerouting and failover. By using multiples of three, integrators can be sure to prevent network downtime if a unit fails or is blocked.

The CRN Test Center found iInstallation and setup of the device surprisingly easy. The most complicated aspect is selecting a location and mounting the unit. The Clearmesh 300 uses auto-tracking to adjust for minor location shifts (such as buildings settling and wind-based movements) and offers auto signal acquisition to assist in aiming the units. In other words, an installer only has to approximate the aim, and the unit handles the rest.

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Using light for networking offers several advantages over radio waves. It's basically impossible to intercept light waves, and they can only be blocked or jammed physically. What's more, light can network faster because it's not susceptible to the interference that radio waves can encounter from external sources.

Another major benefit of the Clearmesh 300 is the elimination of FCC permits or licenses, which are often required for radio wave-based technologies. Licensing and permits can be expensive and time-consuming.

Uses for the Clearmesh 300 are almost limitless. The product can be used to build campus networks, metropolitan networks and shared networks, making it ideal for the education, municipal and carrier markets.

Each unit includes an integrated multiservice switch, full duplex 300 Mbps service capacity, Layer 2 mesh switching and SNMP support. The device has a range of about 250 meters and uses the near infrared spectrum. Installers will have to take into account some weather conditions, such as fog or heavy snowfall. But in most situations, those conditions don't pose a measurable problem.

It should be noted that building a mesh involves a lot more than just installing hardware. Management of the mesh is just as important. Here, Clearmesh offers the Clearmesh Management System (CMS), a management console that provides automatic node discovery, automatic mesh topology discovery and centralized, end-to-end network management. The software quickly discovers Clearmesh 300 units and builds a graphical representation of the mesh. From there, administrators can optimize device settings, incorporate SNMP traps and define networking routes.

CMS also becomes a service enabler, allowing VARs to manage mesh networks for their customers. With CMS, integrators have access to centralized physical and logical topology management, event management, centralized statistics polling, collection and reporting, provisioning across, version control, upgrade management and inventory management. The CMS console uses a Java-based management interface and allows remote access via a Web browser.

At around $5,000 each, the Clearmesh 300 isn't cheap. But when compared with the cost of pulling fiber, a Clearmesh network infrastructure could come in at less than 10 percent of the cost, making the Clearmesh optical network an attractive option. There also are cases where fiber isn't an option, such as in environmentally sensitive areas, and the only way to bring high-speed networking to such a site would be via wireless technology.

With the Clearmesh 300, wireless mesh networking has truly arrived and is no longer susceptible to the security concerns of traditional radio wave-based solutions.

On the channel front, Pasadena, Calif.-based Clearmesh plans to introduce a new partner program in the near future, which will bring a plethora of offerings to the table for VARs, ranging from high margins and sales support to training and troubleshooting services.