VeEX unveiled its MTTplus-900 Air Expert Module, which is equipped with 802.11ac 3×3 radio capabilities to discover a network’s access points, clients, and channels. Featuring both WiFi and wired Ethernet interfaces as well as a dedicated spectrum analyzer, the Air Expert Module reportedly removes the need to carry various dedicated pieces of test equipment. “It covers all aspects of the installation and maintenance processes, from RF network discovery and survey, to troubleshooting, and traffic load performance testing,” VeEX reports in a press release.
VeEX also says the Air Expert provides the tools necessary for 802.11 a, b, g, n, ac WiFi network and clients discovery, with alerts to help pinpoint configuration or performance issues. The Level Tracking function surveys the facility and adds location information to the measurements, creating a complete record of the facility walkthrough. The module is also equipped with a dedicated RF spectrum analyzer for the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency bands – where many highly disruptive and intermittent WiFi performance issues can be traced to non-WiFi interferers. VeEx points out that unless technicians are armed with an RF spectrum analyzer, they will be “powerless in detecting these interference sources since traditional WiFi network scanning tools can only discover 802.11 WiFi devices.”
Going beyond RF network measurements, the Air Expert’s V-Perf upload and download traffic test evaluates the network’s performance under traffic load and measures QoE parameters from an end user’s point of view. Techs are said to be able to quickly establish whether the achieved upload and download rates meet SLA requirements and readiness for high bandwidth traffic like audio and video streaming, with preconfigured profiles for common applications (Netflix, YouTube, Skype, VoIP, etc.). To test the WiFi backhaul or act as a responder for WiFi Performance test, the Air Expert is optionally fitted with an RJ45 10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet interface and an SFP 1000Base-X interface. In addition, the wired interface offers Power over Ethernet (PoE) testing capabilities.
Netgear announced its new CM1000 ultra high-speed cable modem is “the world’s first retail DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem certified by Comcast.” CM1000 will be used by Comcast residential subscribers for gigabit-per-second internet speed. Comcast has rolled out gigabit services to subscribers in Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Detroit, and Miami. The operator also has announced plans to bring 1 Gbps speeds to several other cities in the coming months. The CM1000 modem is backward-compatible with DOCSIS 3.0 and works with all existing speed tiers from Comcast, according to Netgear.
“It is thrilling to be part of writing this new page of internet history and provide Comcast subscribers with the equipment they will need to fully utilize the new gigabit connectivity. The CM1000 DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem designed to deliver the latest in connectivity for the new connected home,” David Henry, SVP of home networking products at Netgear comments.
BuildSourced, which is an asset tracking and analytics company, appointed Michael Cook as CTO, who will report to Austin Conti, CEO and co-founder of BuildSourced. Cook joins the company from Comcast where he spent 12 years in various roles within the Office of the CTO, and then the Technology and Product organization where he most recently served as VP of technology. He helped develop Comcast’s low-power, long-range, business-to-business (B2B) Internet of Things (IoT) service offerings, and led the initiative to reduce energy utilized by set-tops by more than 50 percent over four years. Cook also reportedly built Comcast’s first talking guide implementation, enabling the blind to interact with Comcast’s set-tops, and he developed a cloud-based streaming technology integrated into Comcast’s X1 boxes.
In this new role, Cook will be responsible for leading all aspects of BuildSourced’s physical asset management market, and shaping the company’s technology vision and future product roadmap.
Lindsay Broadband announced that “a major multiple system operator” has begun a large scale LTE small cell deployment using Lindsay’s Gateway, supplying power from the HFC plant to the small cells. “This is the first of several MSOs in which Lindsay Broadband has been partnering for trials and now deployment,” David Atman, president of Lindsay Broadband, says.
Lindsay reports it has been working with several MSOs to utilize existing infrastructure to provide both Power (AC and DC) as well as backhaul (DOCSIS and optical) for small cell and other current and future technologies. The Small Cell Gateway Solution developed by Lindsay Broadband over the last three years offers various mounting options (strand, vault, pedestal, and wall) and delivers up to 400 watts of power to any manufacturer’s small cell, which is said to allow the MSO to easily accommodate a mobile network operator’s (MNO) approved equipment. “By utilizing the HFC architecture, the MSO is able to offer a huge cost advantage over commercial powering schemes, while also providing a stable AC or DC power source with the eight hours of protection typically built into the HFC plant,” Lindsay says in a press release.
Lindsay couples its Gateway product line with its small cell power inserter and advanced EMI filters to provide the isolation and protection needed for spectrum up to 1.22 GHz, which is said to make it safe for deployment in a DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 environments. Also, Lindsay offers multiple power outputs, allowing for multiple small cells to be powered from the same Gateway unit.
