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Santa Clara County ARES®/RACES

WiFi Part 15 Radio Access

Served agencies can establish multi-megabit point-to-point and point-to-multipoint connections to the SCCo ARES/RACES intranet using commercially available WiFi equipment and protocols. The links are operated on unlicensed spectrum using FCC Part 15 rules and are encrypted. Because of the nature of microwave propagation, connectivity is limited to locations with a clear line of sight to one of the SCCo ARES/RACES intranet sites.

Use the following procedure to get connected to the SCCo ARES/RACES intranet through a WiFi Part 15 connection:

Location Selection

Due to nature of microwave communications, a clear line of sight is required from the intended subscriber antenna location to one (or more) of the SCCo ARES/RACES network locations. Find a location at the subscriber site that has a clear view of the SCCo ARES/RACES network location that hosts your city/agency’s primary packet BBS. The best tool is a pair of binoculars or a spotting scope. Simply go up on the roof or other structure and see if you have a visible line of sight to the SCCo ARES/RACES hub site. Those who wish to examine the link more technically can try some of the online microwave link design tools linked below. Submit a completed WiFi Site Information Form for the intended location.

Equipment Recommendations

The SCCo ARES/RACES network team will review the expected propagation path to confirm that it is likely to produce a high quality connection. If the path is valid, they will specify the WiFi radios and antennas to purchase. Note that there are two radios and two antennas involved:

  • One radio and one antenna will mount at your city/agency location. The SCCo ARES/RACES intranet demarc will be the Ethernet port on the radio.
  • In some cases, an existing radio and antenna at the hub say may be usable for your connection. However, if your location is far from the hub site, a dedicated radio with a higher-gain antenna will be needed at the hub site.

The city/agency site will need a firewall, Ethernet switch, and other network equipment, as described below.

Purchasing

The city/agency will be responsible for ordering the radio, antenna, and other network equipment for their site, according to the specifications provided by SCCo ARES/RACES. (While you wait on delivery, you can start constructing the mounting point, running cable, and installing your firewall and other network components.)

Funding for the hub site equipment will be on a case-by-case basis as we learn more about which sites have the ability to connect. For shared hub site radios/antennas, SCCo ARES/RACES will handle ordering the radio/antenna. Depending on available funding, your city/agency may be asked to contribute a portion of the cost. If a point-to-point link is required, your city/agency will need to fund the entire hub site radio/antenna plus mounting hardware. SCCo ARES/RACES will handle the installation of all hub site equipment.

Configuration
When the radio for your site arrives, contact the SCCo ARES/RACES network team and hand the radio off to them. They will configure the radio and return it to you for installation. (The configuration contains security information that can not be shared.) They will give you IP network information plus elevation angle and azimuth information to aid in aligning the antenna. There will be a read-only password for the radio that you can use to perform antenna alignment and check on status.
Installation and Alignment

See our WiFi Antenna Alignment page for helpful hints on mounting and alignment the antenna. Install at your convenience. We ask that you let us know a few days in advance of when you plan to install. If possible, we’ll try to make ourselves available at the same time so we can monitor from the network side. When aligning antennas, be sure to swing a bit past the peak signal and then back again to make sure you find the best signal. This helps ensure you are not aligning on a side lobe.

Testing
One the antenna is installed, the SCCo ARES/RACES network team will conduct a few tests to verify proper operation. If the unit tests OK, it will be added to our monitoring system so we’re alerted if we lose connectivity.
Complete Your Network Configuration

Finish configuring and testing your routing and firewall configurations. Consult the configuration information below for suggestions on how to configure routing and firewall settings at your site.

Train Your Users
Train your users on how to use the network and how to switch back to AX.25 packet if the WiFi link is unavailable.