The Opportunity of
WISP’s
Mark Levetzow
Topics
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WISP’s and how they work
IEEE standards and radio frequency.
Equipment
Good/Bad points about WISP’s
Do’s and Don’ts
WiMAX
What is a WISP?
 Wireless Internet Service Provider
 Offers high speed Internet access to rural
areas that cable ISP’s don’t cover.
 Types include, Hotspots, point-to-point,
and point-to-multipoint.
 Travel over access points via radio
frequency.
How a WISP works
 A connection to an ISP. Type of
connection up to what company provides,
and/or what WISP desires.
 Connection to a router.
 Router connects to radio box, which
sends signal out antennae, and
broadcasts outward.
Hotspots
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One access point
No radio transmission.
Broadcast signal to surrounding area.
Useful in metropolitan areas
Many business offer Wi-Fi hotspots for
free.
 Security issues with free hotspots.
Point-to-Point
Point-to-Multipoint
Radio frequency
Radio cont.
 Wi-Fi travels on 2.4GHz band.
 This frequency is unlicensed by
international agreement.
 The frequencies for 802.11 b/g span
2.400 GHz to 2.487 GHz. Each channel
is 22 MHz wide, with a5 MHz step to the
next channel.
IEEE 802.11
 Institute of Electrical and Electronic
Engineers
 802.11 focuses on Wi-Fi, and wireless
LAN standards
 Technology is produced based on these
standards
802.11 standards
802.11a – Released in 1999. 5GHz. Max Data Rate – 54
Mbits/sec. Less crowded than 2.4, but travels less distance. Line
of sight a must.
802.11b – Released in 1999. 2.4GHz. Max Data Rate – 11
Mbits/sec. Used in point-to-multipoint. Can travel well up to 5-10
miles.
802.11g – Released in 2003. 2.4GHz. Max Data Rate – 54
Mbits/sec. Can work with 802.11b, but works like 802.11a.
802.11n – Drafted in 2006. 2.4 or 5GHz, Max Data Rate – 540
Mbits/sec. Maybe released in 2007?
Essential WISP backbone
equipment
 Connection to ISP. (Broadband, T1, DS3,
etc.)
 Main router, plus Ethernet switch to
aggregate traffic.
 Radio transmitters: 1 for bridging, one for
broadcasting.
 Radio cable, connected to antennae
 Web server? Amplifier?
Equipment
Users need
 Receiver
mounted in view
of access point
 Network router
 Network cards for
all machines
desired for
access.
Requirements
 Line of sight is usually a must.
 Access points should be at as high levels
as possible.
 Receivers look at one access point.
Why WISP?
 ISP companies see it too expensive to
lay cabling in rural areas.
 Demand for high speed access exists.
 Can be a profitable business venture!
 Radio waves provide can provide greater
bandwidth, for less latency.
Drawbacks
 Line of sight is required for most of the
technology.
 Weather disruptions.
 Latency issues.
 Unlicensed frequency can have disruption
problems. (Cell phones, radio, etc.)
 Expensive to start! (Though government
funding can be awarded.)
Expenses
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Equipment for backbone
Equipment for relay access points
Equipment for customers
Internet connection
Rent/Lease of relay access points
Security
Maintenance
How much can it cost?
$10,000- $250,000!
How to keep secure?
 VPN – Virtual Private Network. Access a
private network over a public network
 Data Encryption
 SSID – Service Set Identifier.
 Address tables + network cards.
Do’s
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Survey land, and frequency traffic.
Make sure you have customers!
Listen to their needs.
Negotiate expenses with customers.
Strike deals for remote access points
with property owners.
Don’ts
Don’t over/underestimate bandwidth.
Don’t try to compete with ISP’s.
Don’t expand without testing.
Don’t cause interference with licensed
frequencies.
 Don’t expand for one customer.
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WiMAX – The evolution
of Wi-Fi?
 Worldwide Interoperability
for Microwave Access
 10 – 60 GHz frequency
 802.16 standards provide
greater encryption security,
increased bandwidth
availability.
 70 miles and/or 70 Mbits
per second!
Conclusion
 WISP’s are expensive to start, and take
time to build and maintain.
 A legitimate business venture, and room
for a very profitable career.
 Provide a service to those who desire
Internet access where non is available