HotPort 3100/PS 4.9 GHz Indoor Wireless Mesh Node
for Public Safety Mesh Networks

 4.9 GHz Public Safety Data Sheet
HotPortTM 3100/PS Series Indoor Wireless Mesh Nodes are part of Firetide's industry-leading HotPort/PS High Performance Mesh Network that provides broadband wireless communications in the U.S.-licensed 4.9 GHz spectrum for public safety (PS) applications. These plenum-rated HotPort 3100/PS nodes have a built-in 4-port 10/100 Ethernet switch for connecting standard equipment, including mobile data terminals, digital video cameras, GPS receivers and most other on-board multimedia communications systems.

HotPort 3100/PS Series Indoor Mesh Nodes can be installed inside buildings as part of an indoor-outdoor jurisdictional overlay network. When deployed in this fashion, available features not required for incident response in the field may be utilized. See for the HotPort 3200/PS Outdoor Wireless Mesh Nodes and HotView Pro for a discussion of these features, including EthernetDirect, MeshBridge, Network Gateway Interconnects, Gateway Servers and RF Transmit Power Levels.

HotPort 3100/PS Series Indoor Wireless Mesh Nodes are normally installed in vehicles, in trunks or under seats, or in mobile command centers to provide ad hoc wireless communications at an incident area where the only form of communications available may well be the mobile mesh that accompanies first responders to the scene. The AutoMeshTM protocol makes the network fully self-forming and self-healing to afford rapid, automatic deployment and mission-critical, dependable operation. Seamless integration with HotPort 3200/PS Outdoor Wireless Mesh Nodes deployed in a jurisdictional overlay network provides backhaul communications with centralized command and control facilities.

HotPort 3100/PS Series Indoor Wireless Mesh Node Feature Set

The many features of the HotPort 3100/PS Series Indoor Wireless Mesh Nodes provide a wealth of customer benefits that, together with the HotPort 3200/PS outdoor mesh nodes and HotView or HotView Pro Mesh Management Software, make a HotPort/PS High Performance Mesh Network ideal for public safety applications. Below are highlights of the key features, details of which are available separately in the product datasheets and documentation.

Multi-Spectrum Flexibility

 In addition to operating in the U.S.-licensed 4.9 GHz spectrum, HotPort/PS nodes can operate in the unlicensed spectrum at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. For incident response, a single interoperable multi-agency mesh network is usually preferred. Alternatively, through judicious frequency and channel selection, multiple and separate intra-agency mesh networks can also be deployed at the same scene. In certain configurations, Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) is used to minimize radio/radar interference.

Built-in 4 Port Ethernet Switch

Four separate 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports can be used to connect commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment. Any system with an Ethernet interface is supported, including mobile data terminals, access points, digital video cameras, VoIP telephones, laptop computers, printers and network servers.

Class of Service Traffic Prioritization

 Three levels of CoS allow traffic to be prioritized to improve overall mesh performance, scalability and versatility, especially in triple play data, voice and video applications. High priority is normally assigned to voice over IP (VoIP) traffic to minimize jitter and latency.

Virtual LANs

 VLAN support includes both port-based and trunked (with IEEE 802.1q standard tagging). Traffic segmentation affords greater privacy, and can enhance mesh performance and scalability by allowing traffic to be directed along specific VLAN routes.

Strong Traffic Encryption

The security and integrity of the mesh can be ensured by using the built-in hardware-assisted 128- or 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard provision. Any external encryption, such as with a virtual private network (VPN), is fully preserved as traffic traverses the HotPort/PS mesh network.

Access Control

 All traffic can be filtered by MAC address on either an explicit Allow or Deny basis to control access to the HotPort/PS mesh network. The traffic filtering provisions work whether the host system is connected directly to a HotPort/PS node via one of the Ethernet ports, or indirectly via an attached wireless access point.

Received Signal Strength and Multi-Hop Optimization

 These twin capabilities help reduce contention in large mesh networks, and allow mesh paths to be selected by link quality to enhance overall performance, scalability and reliability.

MeshBridgeTM

 The MeshBridge feature is used to connect multiple mesh networks into a single, integrated mesh environment with up to 1000 nodes. The MeshBridge link can be directly wired, or made via any separate switched or routed LAN, MAN or WAN infrastructure. MeshBridge enhances performance and simplifies the management of large-scale jurisdictional mesh networks that potentially extend state-wide.

HotViewTM or HotView ProTM Mesh Management Software

HotPort 3100/PS Series Indoor Wireless Mesh nodes are supported by both HotView and HotView Pro Mesh Management Software. Normally the nodes are preconfigured using HotView, which eliminates the need to have any management console or network administrator at the scene.

Virtual LANs

 VLAN support includes both port-based and trunked (with IEEE 802.1q standard tagging). Traffic segmentation affords greater privacy, and can enhance mesh performance and scalability by allowing traffic to be directed along specific VLAN routes.

Strong Traffic Encryption

 The security and integrity of the mesh can be ensured by using the built-in hardware-assisted 128- or 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard provision. Any external encryption, such as with a virtual private network (VPN), is fully preserved as traffic traverses the HotPort/PS mesh network.

RF Transmit Power Levels and Antenna Options

Adjusting the transmit power level of certain nodes allows the entire mesh network to be "tuned" to deliver peak performance without sacrificing mesh-wide resiliency or scalability. Dynamic Frequency Selection (DFS) minimizes radio/radar interference. A variety of high-gain antennas provide omnidirectional operation to achieve broad 360 degree coverage.

Received Signal Strength and Multi-Hop Optimization

These twin capabilities help reduce contention in large mesh networks, and allow mesh paths to be selected by link quality to enhance overall performance, scalability and reliability.

HotView or HotView Pro Mesh Management Software

HotPort 3200/PS Outdoor Wireless Mesh nodes are supported by both HotView and HotView Pro Mesh Management Software. Certain features, such as MultiMesh and MeshBridge, are supported only by HotView Pro.