Page 40 May June 2014 TCA

range microwave version probably didn’t
appeal to most Amateurs – except for a
dedicated few. Visit the British Columbia
Wireless Amateur Radio Network (BCWARN)
website and you’ll discover a 21st century
integrated network system.
NOW
In the summer of 2013, the HSMM network
was rebranded as the Broadband Hamnet
(BBHN) with enhanced router frmware,
and small groups of Amateurs are still
tinkering, stumbling along the way as most
do. While BBHN and HSMM articles say you
can do this and you can do that, step-by-
step instructions are often lacking,
out-of-date, or confusing/diffcult to
understand. What is needed is “BBHN Mesh
Applications for Dummies” (as I call it)
because most of us aren’t networking
experts or speak TCP/IP!
AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE USE
WRT54G routers operate in a small segment
Figure 2: Typical BBHM Mesh Features (802.11g) wireless protocol, but it didn’t of the 13 cm band, using non-overlapping
THEN take too long before crackerjack hackers wireless channels 1 and 6, centred on
stunned everyone by revealing the router
The frst wireless star network (ALOHAnet) used Linux frmware! Some operating 2412 and 2437 MHz. We are secondary
users and share with licensed primary
was developed by Professor Norman systems are proprietary (like Windows), users, the Amateur Satellite Service, and
Abramson (Hawaii, 1971). Using UHF packet but Linux isn’t and Linksys had to release the licence-exempt, low-power public
radio (only) and seven computers spread the source code to the public. Many third wireless service (see Figure 4).
across four islands, he communicated party frmware additions/enhancements
directly with a central computer. Shortly followed quickly, including code written This is a line-of-sight microwave band
thereafter, Canadian Amateurs (frst in by Hams for Hams creating the “Hinternet” where the antenna type, height, location
British Columbia and then in Quebec) (Ham Internet). Later, Linksys reduced the and the surrounding terrain are far more
developed the frst Amateur Radio packet memory and dropped Linux, so version 5 important than raw power.
radio network systems to send/receive (and up) routers can’t be reprogrammed Standard Amateur Radio operating rules
email and data fles – this is another story (“fashed”) with BBHN frmware. apply (RBR- 4, former RIC-2 refers):
for another time.
Initially, there was tremendous Hinternet
Decades later, Dr. Winrich Roseheit interest, but just as quickly as it came into 1) Station identifcation required (digitally
transmitted at regular intervals).
(Cologne, 1997) created a new kind of the limelight, it exited stage right. By the
network called Digital Inter Relay end of the 1990s, the Internet buried 2) No commercial or inappropriate use.
Communications (DIRC) based on a most Amateur Radio packet radio
different topology, more secure, networks (except APRS) so putting more 3) No (non-public) encryption methods
intelligent, portable, and less vulnerable money, time and effort to build a short to hide contents of transmitted data.
to catastrophic failure. Soon, military DIRC
(Mesh) networks evolved for tactical
“command and control” of the battlefeld.
Mesh networks may have remained for
military/government or commercial only
use, if it hadn’t been for an unintended
“Whoops!” by Linksys. In December 2002,
the company released the (now famous)
WRT54G router (see Figure 3) supporting
the new high-speed 2.4 GHz, 54 Mbps

Figure 3: WRT54G (The Little Router that Can). Figure: 4 BBHN Mesh 2.4 GHz Mesh Wireless Channels
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