Strix Deploys Voice and Data Wi-Fi Mesh for Thousands at VON 2005



Thousands of Voice and Data Users Gain Network Access Using a Strix Access/One Mesh Network


CALABASAS, Calif., -/29 March, 2005 - Wi-Fi Technology News/- Strix Systems, a technology leader in wireless local area Wi-Fi mesh networking systems, announced a successful deployment of the largest temporary use voice and data network ever at Spring VON 2005. Over the four day conference there were thousands of network associations and hundreds of concurrent users, and the Access/One Network, IWS (Indoor Wireless System), performed flawlessly.

?Wireless IP solutions are enabling a new infrastructure for the enterprise which is why we are continually interested in their development,? said Jeff Pulver, president and CEO of pulver.com, Inc. ?We believe mesh networking will be significant to IP communications, and this successful installation demonstrates that mesh is suitable for mixed use, high density network deployments.?

Over 25 Access/One Network IWS nodes were deployed by a single IT manager in less than a day throughout the registration areas, common areas, lounges, meeting rooms, general session rooms, and exhibit areas at the San Jose Convention Center to provide 802.11g and 802.11a coverage. All but 2 nodes were deployed wirelessly, creating a large multi-hop mesh network. The Access/One mesh provided network access for workstations and printers in the registration areas, as well as general network access for attendees using WiFi phones, PDAs, and notebooks. At any given time as many as 450 users were associated to the network, with 25% using voice enabled devices and the remainder using data devices.

?I had been told that I could never support high user density running concurrent voice and data traffic with a mesh network,? said John Jones, IT Director for Pulver and VON. ?However, with Strix?s multi-channel and multi-radio approach to mesh networking, I was able to deploy a wireless network that met my throughput and latency requirements and easily delivered performance for all users. The network was as close to perfect as I?ve ever seen.?

Using Strix features Virtual/Strix and Priority/One, separate SSIDs were established to segment voice and data traffic, with voice traffic receiving priority over data end-to-end throughout the mesh. This multi-use networks and QoS implementation ensured that voice users were able to roam throughout the environment with high call quality, while data users received appropriate bandwidth and performance.

An IP3 Networks NetAccess Gateway was deployed in conjunction with the Strix Access/One Network to handle device authentication and home page redirect. The two systems integrated seamlessly providing the show organizers a complete wireless networking solution that was easy to install, manage, configure, and operate. At the completion of the show the network was easily removed and is ready to be used for a future VON event.

About VON
The Spring 2005 VON Conference and Expo, hosted by pulver.com, Inc., focused on the technologies and challenges facing the IP Communications industry today. VON events serve as a place for industry leaders to meet, discuss and focus on the issues affecting the VoIP revolution. While voice over packet technologies are a critical part of VON events, the conventions are not just about voice. Each conference showcases companies that represent a great segment of the IP Communications industry?covering the marketplace from the perspectives of enterprise users, service providers, consumer services and the industry as a whole.

About Strix Systems
The Strix Systems Access/One Network family of products represent the next generation of wireless LAN products, leaping past the traditional access point and switch architecture to mesh; a self-discovering, self-configuring, self-tuning, and self-healing wireless network incorporating robust security and comprehensive management. The Access/One Network family of products support all 802.11 RF technologies and offer multi-radio and multi-channel high performance managed mesh networking systems for indoor enterprise deployments and outdoor public safely, municipal and metropolitan networks.

The Access/One Network can be configured and managed via Manager/One, a comprehensive browser based management platform that allows IT administrators to control all key elements of their wireless network, or using Access/One Networks carrier grade support for SNMP based management. Additional features of the Access/One Network products include Virtual/Strix and Priority/One. Virtual/Strix supports deployments of multi-use or virtual networks where various user segments are sharing one Access/One network. Priority/One allows administrators of these multi-use networks to ensure quality of service by assigning varying class of service filters to any type of network traffic or user group.

Access/One Networks have been deployed in numerous environments throughout the world including; enterprise, hospitality, education, public safety, housing, and metropolitan area networks. For more information about Strix Systems, please visit http://www.strixsystems.com.