Open-Mesh Cloudtrax | low-cost-solid-wifi

CloudTrax WiFi Network Management System & Open-Mesh Access Points

The CloudTrax system used in conjunction with Open-Mesh OM2P enabled WiFi access points allows the installation of WiFi networks with minimum cost and expertise from just a signal access point to an entire citywide WiFi network using a cloud based controller which can be accessed from a centralized dashboard. Designed to be ultra low cost with zero configuration it is ideal for both professional & non professional installers. The network can be set up to provide either free or paid for access or both free and paid for access. The system can be used for not for profit community networks or for profit networks, coffee shops, hotels, schools, hospitals, RV parks, offices, apartment buildings, residential networks and many more applications. Is it ideal for anyone wanting to start a WiFi business.

The Open-Mesh system was developed at MIT and is used to support over 40,000 WiFi networks including a citywide network in Belton Texas, The Fenmorem, a 205 unit apartment complex near Fenway Park & a community network in Peregian Beach Queensland, Australia.

The CloudTrax system includes splash pages and full Paypal integration.

Open-Mesh Routers

The Open-Mesh OM2 routers/access points come pre installed with the Open-Mesh firmware to provide a plug & play system. The access points start from just $55 and provide very high performance compared to similar much more expensive WiFi equipment.

Even the best value units feature 400 MHz Atheros processors, 64Mb RAM, g/n Wireless bands, Self Healing Mesh, Cloud Control, Power over Ethernet Support, FCC, IC, CE, CTick Certificates, IOS/Android Monitoring Apps & Meshing Quality LED's

Self Healing Mesh

Each unit (known as a node) in the network connected directly to the Internet (DSL, cable, T1 or leased line etc) is a Gateway and then additional units can be added which only need to be powered become repeaters (also known as nodes) which extend the range of the network to create a self healing mesh. Theoretically there is no limit to the number of repeaters which can be added to each Gateway unit, however if more than five repeaters are added to each Gateway the performance of each unit will suffer. Multiple Gateways will increase the overall performance and resilience of the network. Each node should be able to connect to as many other nodes in the network. If one Gateway should fail the others will support the network.

Cloud Controlled

As the name suggests the entire system is cloud controlled which means you can do everything (except physical installation of equipment) from a remote location with just an Internet browser, ideal for multiple site networks and remote troubleshooting.

The Cloudtrax Dashboard allows you edit your network, view real time usage, see the number of users online, view meshing speeds/latency, reboot units. You can also create and edit access vouchers and much more.

As an example, in an apartment building, one Gateway should be placed centrally on each floor and a repeater should be placed in each apartment on that floor. The quality and link speed will be reduced for every walls and floor the signal must pass through, especially if they are made of concrete. When planning the installation of the network in a building special attention should be made to ensure to minimise the number of stone/concrete and metal obstructions the signal must pass through.

Power Over Ethernet (PoE)

Power Over Ethernet (PoE) sends both data and electricity to power the Open-Mesh router along a single normal Ethernet cable. The maximum length of the Ethernet cable using PoE is 300 feet which means a router can be installed in a location up to 300 feet from a power source. And as there is only 12v-18v of power being sent over the cable PoE can be installed by non qualified electricians.

WiFi Network Management / Centralised Cloud Controller

The Open-Mesh OM2 units which form the WiFi network can be controlled from a (free) remote centralised dashboard provided by Cloudtrax from any Internet browser anywhere in the world. The dashboard allows you to view, edit and add/remove units (nodes), view individual user activity and overall upload/download, create/view & edit access vouchers. Each unit will 'check in' every ten minutes updating the status of that node, mesh units will show last and average mesh speeds and latency which makes the positioning of units for best performance easy even for non professional installers. Customisable Splash/Landing pages are fully integrated which allow to you provide free and/or paid for access.

Paypal is fully integrated with the Open-Mesh/Cloudtrax system so customers/guests can be charged for access using their credit/debit cards. Vouchers can also be created so access can be sold offline at a hotel lobby/cafe counter or over the phone.

Scalable

This business is highly scalable as you can start with just one unit and as demand or funding grows you can just add more units to the system to increase coverage and reach more potential customers.

The meshing capabilities of the Open-Mesh routers allow you to simply plug in another unit in to a power outlet and it will connect to the other units creating a much larger coverage area and reach even more customers.

Introducing the MR1750.

The Open Mesh MR1750 is a cloud managed, dual band, 802.11ac mesh-capable access point that includes hardware watchdog, standard 802.3af POE support and a single Gigabit Ethernet port.

With the ability to support up to 50-100 simultaneous users, this access point is ideal for dense, high-traffic locations such as retail and office spaces, schools, shopping malls and hospitality venues.

The MR1750 is cloud managed and includes a free license for CloudTrax, Open Mesh’s cloud-based network controller. Now you can deploy access points in minutes and build, manage and monitor your network from anywhere.