GigOM’s Katie Fehrenbacher says Wi-Fi mesh makers are turning to Google Earth for a birds-eye view of their networks.
Companies like Strix and SkyPilot can use GPS or other means to gather location data of the network nodes, and use that data to create useful maps using Google Earth.
Indian network operator LifeStyle Networks relied on Google Earth to plot and rollout a 20 square kilometer network for 500,000 residents in Mumbai using Strix hardware. The company used Google Earth to decide where the radios should be placed and then used GPS-based location data to create an online network map over Google Earth.
SkyPilot recently announced its SkyControl with Google Earth mapping service. The management system collects node data, like available GPS coordinate info and link states, and is used with Google Earth Pro.
Meraki uses Google Maps for its Dashboard network management tools. Google Maps was used to input the location data of the hardware for community-based networks.
SkyPilot already uses GPS chips in its gear to coordinate node-to-node links.
A Mobile Ad hoc Network Visualization Project was created by the JHU Wireless Communication Lab to allow researchers to visualize the link dynamics in a MANET (Mobile Ad-hoc Network).
Related DailyWireless articles include; SkyPilot & DragonWave: Cheaper/Faster Infrastructure, Meraki Rocks and Mumbai’s Million Man Mesh
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