Network Provider Ritter Communications Establishes Local Connectivity with MemHamWAN
Thursday June 4th 2015, HamWAN Memphis Metro installed their first locally-peering edge router with Ritter Communications. Located in Millington, TN, the edge router will provide lower latency access to the internet, while also reducing the hops between HamWAN’s internal network and network carriers.
“We’re excited to have a local ISP partner with HamWAN,” said Ryan Turner, President of HamWAN Memphis Metro, Inc. “Their community-focused approach has greatly helped further our project — without them, we would still be sending all of our internet traffic across the US,” added Turner. Ritter’s connectivity provides multiple upstream peers and runs on emergency power, making the edge router highly reliable. “They repeatedly exemplified their ‘Right by You’ attitude in meeting with us and helping us with the installation,” said Turner.
The edge router will be able to support about ten times HamWAN’s average traffic, and soon in the future it will be directly connected by a wireless point-to-point link to HamWAN’s existing site at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. MemHamWAN’s previously-used tunnel to a Seattle company for edge routing will be maintained as a backup system.
MemHamWAN estimates that this edge will support network expansion for the coming year and be a critical connection long term. While many of HamWAN’s activities are local to the network, management and servicing of the equipment frequently requires internet connectivity. In addition, connecting systems with other amateur radio networks takes place over the internet.
“While passing traffic within our network is impressive, most users want to communicate with others outside of the region from time to time,” said Turner. ” And sometimes a microwave connection just isn’t feasible yet — whether you’re in a hole behind a ridge, or if you’re not able to put up the equipment. Internet connectivity lets all of these things just work. Ritter Communications is really helping us make this project happen.”
About HamWAN Memphis Metro
HamWAN Memphis Metro provides high-speed wireless data networking for amateur radio operators in the 10 county Memphis Metro region, making up over 5,000 square miles and nearly 2,500 radio operators. MemHamWAN supports microwave and IP networking experimentation, education, and emergency use by deploying a redundant, engineered infrastructure.
With microwave connectivity, operators are able to participate in the regional wide area network. On this, operators may remotely access radio receivers and transmitters, stream media, use voice-over-ip, among many other things. For more information, visit memhamwan.org or twitter.com/memhamwan.