Frequently Asked Questions

GENERAL

Q. What is Alloyant’s StreamLine?
A. StreamLine is a reliable, high capacity, cost effective point-to-point broadband wireless solution, which:

• Delivers multi-megabit Ethernet services
• Can be installed and deployed in hours
• Operates in the 2.4 GHz and 4.9 - 5.9 GHz frequency bands
• Has an operational range of over 80 km
• Has a high capacity of up to 48 Mbps
• Uses advanced OFDM technology
• Is certified for deployment in FCC, ETSI and CSA regulated countries.

Q. What are the key components of the StreamLine solution?
A. Alloyant’s StreamLine includes an indoor unit (IDU), an outdoor unit(ODU), an antenna and UV-protected CAT cable up to 100 meters long. StreamLine’s easy-to-use management software includes a configuration wizard as well as planning and remote link monitoring capabilities.

Q. Who benefits from using StreamLine ?
A. StreamLine serves the needs of customers seeking carrier-class, cost-effective, high-performance broadband solutions that operate under the harshest weather conditions, even in non line of sight environments.

Q. What are some of the StreamLine applications?
A. StreamLine supports a wide range of applications, including:

• Backbone access and backhaul
• Building to building connectivity
  Broadband access (Local Loop)
• WiFi hotspot backhaul
• Private networks for security, military and public safety applications
• Video and security surveillance

Q. What is the range of StreamLine?
A. StreamLine can reach a range of 80 km. The actual range depends on a number of factors, including specific system configuration, weather conditions, topography, geographical terrain, etc.

Q. How secure is StreamLine?
A. StreamLine’s proprietary radio interface provides a layer of security. In addition, it includes built-in 128-bit AES encryption for maximum data security.

Q. Why should I choose StreamLine over competitor products?
A. StreamLine offers unmatched capabilities, including:

• High quality, carrier-grade performance
• Highly competitive market price
• Support for high capacity Ethernet services
• Long range and non line of sight capability
• Ease of deployment – up and running in hours
  

Q. Why is StreamLine a technological breakthrough?
A. StreamLine is designed to maximize spectral efficiency and performance in the sub-11 GHz bands. Designing all key components of the system - including the physical (PHY) layer, the medium control (MAC) layer and the radio transceiver circuitry - Alloyant has created the optimal broadband solution. Key technical advantages include:

• OFDM technology overcomes multipath effects in non line of sight conditions
• Enhanced radio with a adaptive modulation, and adaptive error correction encoding
• Automatic transmit power control
• Automatic channel selection
• Ease of installation, deployment and use

Q. How can I buy StreamLine?
A. Alloyant sells its StreamLine solution through its network of distributors. To find the nearest Alloyant distributor in your area, please send an email to info@Alloyant.com.

Q. How can I become an Alloyant Partner?
A. For information on how to become an Alloyant partner please send an email to partners@Alloyant.com.

STREAMLINE TECHNOLOGY

Q. How many non-overlapping channels are available in StreamLine?
A. StreamLine provides the following numbers of non-overlapping channels using 20MHz channel bandwidth:

• 2.4 GHz (2.400 - 2483GHz) – 3
• 4.9 GHz (4.940 - 4.990GHz) – 2
• 5.3 GHz (5.250 - 5.350GHz) – 5
• 5.4 GHz (5.470 - 5.725GHz) – 11
• 5.8 GHz (5.725 - 5.850GHz) – 5

Q. What are the advantages of the unlicensed spectrum bands in which StreamLine operates?
A. The unlicensed spectrum band delivers the following benefits:

• High availability of spectrum
• Eliminates the need to pay license fees
• Does not require obtaining permissions to install
• Mature technology offers competitive prices

Q. What duplexing technique does StreamLine support?
A. StreamLine is based on time division duplex (TDD) technique and features extremely low latency, about 3 milliseconds for Ethernet services, and this is crucial for supporting real-time applications such as voice and video conferencing.

Q. Which standards does StreamLine support?
A. StreamLine supports the Radio, Safety, EMC, Telecom and Environmental standards set out by FCC, ETSI and CSA, per the specific frequency band.

Q: Are Alloyant products compliant with WEEE and RoHS requirements?
A: The European Union (EU) has adopted the Waste Electrical and Electronics Equipment (referred as WEEE) Directive and the Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances (referred as RoHS) Directive. Alloyant products are compliant with WEEE and RoHS requirements.

Q. Can the StreamLine outdoor unit withstand harsh environmental conditions?
A. Yes. The StreamLine outdoor unit is waterproof, and is built to survive and operate in even the most extreme weather conditions, namely:

• Temperatures: -35°C to +60°C
• Humidity: up to 90% non-condensing

It fully complies with the International Engineering Consortium’s IP-67 standard (an indication of how well a device resists entry of solid objects and water).

Q. What technologies are incorporated into StreamLine?
A. StreamLine incorporates innovative technologies in order to enable longer operational range, higher capacity and greater reliability. Technologies include: OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), error correction, ARQ, adaptive encoding and modulation, automatic channel selection and flexible channel size as well as directional antennas.

Q. How does OFDM work?
A. OFDM enables achieving high data rates by using several overlapping carrier waves instead of just one. This means that communications are continuously supported, even in situations of multi-path interference. In contrast, single carrier systems operating under the same conditions would lose their link. Incorporating OFDM into the StreamLine solution, delivers the following key benefits:

• Immunity to multi-path interference environments
• System operation under the harshest weather and geographical terrain conditions, in some cases even non-line-of-sight deployments

Q. How does StreamLine handle interference?
A. StreamLine provides a number of means to handle interference, including:

• ARQ (Automatic Retransmit request)
• Non-stop TDD transmission
• Adaptive modulation and FEC
• Automatic channel selection
• Advanced Forward Error Correction
• Directional high-gain antennas

STREAMLINE INSTALLATION

Q. How do I align the StreamLine antenna?
A. StreamLine antenna alignment is helped by a built-in “signal buzzer” in the system’s ODU, which beeps according to received signal and helps achieve optimal antenna alignment.

Q. Is it possible to align the StreamLine antenna in a crowded environment?
A. Yes. Unlike other systems, StreamLine does not rely on power indicators to calculate the received signal level. Instead, it uses a unique signature per link to ensure accurate and rapid antenna alignment in crowded environment.

Q. What is the maximum distance between StreamLine’s indoor and outdoor unit?
A. 100m, which is a physical limitation of the CAT5 cable.

Q. Is it possible to install StreamLine on both V and H polarization?
A. Yes. The standard outdoor unit mounting kit supports rotation to achieve both V and H polarizations.

Q. Do I need a special cable or connectors to connect the StreamLine indoor and outdoor units?
A. No, only UV-protected shielded CAT5 cable. Additional cables and connectors can be ordered through Alloyant.

Q. Can I connect an external antenna to StreamLine?
A. Yes. There are two options for connecting an antenna to the StreamLine outdoor unit: 1) Using a model with an integrated antenna. 2) Using an external antenna, which can be ordered through Alloyant.

Q. Is it possible to install multiple StreamLine units in the same site?
A. Yes. Multiple StreamLine units can be co-located at a given site such as a building or a tower. This is achieved with Alloyant's unique Inter-Link Synchronization (ILS) technology which synchronizes co-located StreamLine radios - thus eliminating mutual interference commonly experienced with other collocated TDD systems. This allows for up to 16 StreamLine units to be installed on the same site.

Q. What is the maximum throughput of StreamLine?
A. StreamLine has a maximum full duplex Ethernet throughput of 18 Mbps. Double this capacity will be available in Q4 of 2007.

Q. What is the average latency of StreamLine?
A. The average one-way latency is < 3 milliseconds for Ethernet traffic.

Q. What is StreamLine’s power supply?
A. StreamLine uses a power supply of -48 VDC. AC/DC adapters are provided.

Q. What configuration software comes with StreamLine ?
A. Streamline is managed with a supplied Windows-based GUI application. The intuitive, easy-to-use software can be used locally and remotely.

Link Manager provides:

• Link planning tools
• Link Installation Wizard
• Realtime monitoring of link quality
• Realtime monitoring of alarms and QoS
• Link and unit configuration
• On-line user manual and help
• Over-the-air software upgrades