Bryant Park Wireless Network - summer 2001-2002
Project Overview:
The purpose of
a wireless network is to extend the
functionality of a wired network via wireless medium (802.11). The wireless medium allows
the users free and unfettered mobility while still retaining all of the services
that a wired network offers.
Wireless networks dissolve the notion of the Internet being a separate cyberspace location that you have to “plug into” to connect.
In July of 2001, Terry Schmidt and I developed the following proposal to build a wireless network within the geographic boundaries of Bryant Park (located in midtown Manhattan).
A recent NY Times article explains the impact the park is having on the community and Internet users. I am quoted in the last few paragraphs, near the end...
Proposal - June 2001:
NYCWireless
proposes to help Bryant Park Restoration
Corporation design, deploy and manage a wireless network that provides quality,
high speed Internet access for Bryant Park visitors. The network design will support
hundreds of simultaneous broadband Internet users.
Our wireless network design will have a low environmental and aesthetic
impact, while remaining flexible and scalable to support even higher numbers of
users as the popularity of the services offered increases.
Without a wireless alternative, Bryant Park Restoration Corporation will have to resort to using a wire based (Standard Ethernet) solution and install it into various locations within the park. Coverage and number of simultaneous users will be limited to the number of ports installed and the installation will require the running of underground conduit. However, with an 802.11 wireless network, it is possible to create an installation that has a low environmental impact while providing full coverage of the park using a standard technology (802.11b) that is both popular and inexpensive.
Implementation:
Bryant Park, with its thousands of daily visitors, is an ideal environment for deploying a wireless network. The size of the park will require the installation of three separate wireless access points to ensure strong signal strength and hassle free connections for wireless clients throughout the park.
Diagram 1: This diagram depicts the locations of the access points as well as the expected signal coverage and overlap.
Access Point 1: T1 Demark / Primary Antenna (Southeast Corner)
This is the central access point which is connected to the Internet and is the primary gateway for all network traffic.
Diagram 2: The darker center region receives the maximum signal strength and the fastest connections (11 Mbps). The outer, lighter region receives a weaker signal, which results in slightly slower access speeds (1-4 Mbps). This is the normal effect distance has on the connection speed with technologies such as 802.11b.
Access Point 2: Park Bathrooms (Northeast Corner)
The second access point will be installed on the top of the bathroom structure in the northeast corner of the park. This location does not require separate, dedicated Internet access since we can configure this second access point as a “stand-alone repeater”, allowing it to share the internet connection of the first access point located in the southeast corner. A “stand alone repeater” is an access point that is configured to repeat all local traffic to a primary access point. Below, diagram 3 depicts the coverage of the second access point.
Diagram 3: As can be seen from the diagram, this second access point ensures that the entire northern portion of the park receives the best signal strength not ensured by the first access point.
With a wireless stand-alone repeater, access points can
be placed in remote locations and “repeat” a user's signal to the primary access
point (access point 1, southeast corner). In this configuration the remote
access points are integrated into a single wireless network. This method of connecting remote
stations allows one to place access points in multiple locations without the
need to install traditional copper or fiber-optic cable all over the park. When
using a wireless stand-alone repeater installing physical cables is unnecessary.
Access Point 3:
The third access point is added to handle the western most part of the park. This access point also operates as a stand alone repeater.
Diagram 4: The third access point is located on the Fountain Terrace at the Focaccia Fiorentina food stand.
Full Coverage:
In Diagram 1, all the access points can been seen as a single overlay that creates the parks wireless "footprint". In this configuration, signal coverage and throughput is guaranteed to be excellent throughout the park. The access points will also be configured to support roaming, which allows a user to walk from the coverage of one access point to another access point while still maintaining uninterrupted Internet connectivity.
This proposal
is based on a comprehensive wireless field survey NYCWireless
gathered in the park in July 2001. The project was successfully launched and
open to the public
in June of 2002.