On the management side, LightPointe provides its own Web-based configuration and monitoring utility. Although the management
utility looked a little raw, it was way ahead of the other laser in the roundup, the Canobeam. The management tool is designed
for administration security and managing multiple LightPointe products, so you can manage a chain of FlightLites or FlightStratas
from a central console.
Since we completed our tests, LightPointe released a version of the FlightStrata based on a patent-pending dual-path system
architecture. Dubbed the FlightStrata XA, it combines the optical power of the FlightStrata with an RF-based link the system
uses for seamless fail-over in case of extreme weather conditions, for example. This provides physical layer redundancy in
a single package for little additional cost.
LightPointe has manufactured two product lines capable of competing with a player such as Canon, which has worked the optical
space for decades. Although LightPointe bridges are definitely more difficult to set up than is the Canobeam, and although
the FlightStrata is slightly more expensive, both LightPointe bridges are as robust and far easier to manage once they’re
configured. And LightPointe’s dual-path architecture should make subsequent versions of the FlightStrata even more competitive
next to single-path products such as the Canobeam.
Orthogon OS-Gemini and OS-Spectra
Orthogon was a new name to us, and, indeed, the Waltham, Mass.-based company is only a few years old. Its executives, however,
all have extensive background in manufacturing RF-based networking devices, and that’s precisely Orthogon’s focus.
Orthogon brought two products to our test, the OS-Gemini I and the OS-Spectra. Gemini is Orthogon’s slightly older, more mature
product line, defined mainly by its bandwidth limitation of 33.6Mbps and need for a 10/100 copper interface back to the network.
The Spectra is Orthogon’s newest release, capable of 10 times the throughput of the Gemini and able to run fiber uplinks back
to the wired world.
The OS-Gemini runs in the 5.8GHz range and handles throughput of as much as 33.6Mbps. The product handled our short-haul jump
just fine, but its latency numbers were the highest in the test. This could be attributed to the office glass in between the
connection. The resulting multipath errors caused the unit to do a lot of retransmitting, giving it a higher latency score.
The initial Gemini configuration for the short-haul test came with the radio and antenna on one big flat panel. To go to a
high-gain long-haul configuration, Orthogon replaced this configuration with one where the front flat antenna plate broke
out the antenna leads. These leads could then be run to wave guides or higher-gain antenna systems for additional range and
flexibility.
Mounting the Gemini is straightforward, but the product uses an older style of mounting hardware, including an easy-to-loose
nut in the back. This increases the risk of dropping the whole rig while you’re precariously perched up a radio tower. The
newer hardware used on the Spectra employs a hanger rather than a nut, making it less likely that you’ll drop the hardware
during installation.
The OS-Spectra is definitely Orthogon’s state-of-the-art offering. Also operating in the 5.8GHz range, this bridge supports
both IP and circuit-switched networks with latency comparable to the other bridging media. In addition, the Spectra handles
data rates of as much as 300Mbps and carries improved interference capabilities using dynamic frequency selection and adaptive
modulation techniques. All this may sound confusing, but it’s easily configured with a laptop tool. The Spectra also has WiMAX
compatibility, which will become increasingly important as a low-cost backup-path technology as its penetration increases
during the next few years.
Finally, the fanciest Spectra feature allows it to bend its signal around buildings and other obstacles during long-haul hops.
That means the Spectra doesn’t require clear line of sight in order to function.
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