Cost-Effective, Flexible On-Site Communications and Surveillance

The temporary and constantly changing nature of construction sites creates special challenges not found in other networking applications. The site itself transforms daily. The workers even change from day to day as phases get completed and different subcontractors come and go. Construction sites also have a high incidence of theft and vandalism. Tools and building materials disappear, and equipment is damaged or sabotaged. These and other unique characteristics create a need for flexible information access and security monitoring.

The variety of different construction environments from the highway to the high-rise all have at least one thing in common: it has been impractical or impossible to use traditional wired network solutions. Where cabling has been installed, its deployment has proven to be disruptive, expensive, inflexible and prone to damage.
With a Firetide HotPort® mesh network, you can easily and cost-effectively install, change, move and remove a site-wide voice, video and data communications network. Because the mesh network functions as a virtual Ethernet switch, you can readily connect wireless access points, video security cameras, field office networks, gateways to the Internet or other networks, and more. And because the mesh is self-configuring and self-managing, there is no need for an on-site network administrator.
HotPort wireless mesh nodes can be installed indoors or outdoors or both. Indoor installations, which require only AC power, typically include both office trailers and any buildings under construction. Outdoors, their extended range, battery/solar power options and weatherproof enclosures make the deployment as versatile as it is dependable. You install and reconfigure a HotPort mesh network simply by adding, relocating, or removing HotPort nodes. This same self-configuring intelligence also allows any HotPort node to become mobile on a vehicle or crane, for example. And once the building project is complete, you can simply unplug the HotPort nodes and take them to the next job site.
Protect Assets and Profits with Site-Wide 24x7 Security Monitoring 
Construction sites are tempting targets for thieves and vandals. Ethernet-based digital video cameras can be installed indoors and outdoors with Firetide HotPort wireless mesh nodes to provide 24x7 security monitoring capabilities that blanket the entire site. Support for power over Ethernet (PoE) even eliminates the need for a separate power source for the camera. The video feeds from all cameras can then be monitored in realtime and recorded for scrutiny later, which can be a powerful deterrent to theft and "unproductive" activities.
With a Firetide High Performance Wireless Mesh Network you can:
• Install security cameras anywhere to control access to valuable supply stocks and tool sheds
• Mount a camera for night surveillance on heavy equipment, such as bulldozers, graders, cranes, backhoes and trucks, then simply remove it in the morning when work resumes
• Secure office trailers and their contents, including computers, phones and records
• Mount cameras around the site perimeter to monitor access and discourage loitering
• Enable monitoring for compliance with safety regulations
• Track workers arriving and leaving sites to verify hours worked
• Reduce insurance costs with on-site monitoring capabilities
• Move cameras around as the site changes without rewiring or reconfiguration
• Easily pack and move the entire surveillance network to the next worksite
• Improve Communications and Productivity with Wireless Access
Improve Communications and Productivity with Wireless Access 
Firetide wireless mesh solutions enable you to install any indoor or outdoor wireless access points on the work site to add voice and data communications. Simply plug the wireless access point into an available Ethernet port on a HotPort mesh node, and anyone or anything within range now has full network access. An access point can even share the same HotPort mesh node with a video surveillance camera. Having an on-site broadband wireless mesh network provides authorized personnel (staff, supervisors, architects, sub-contractors, suppliers, project managers, inspectors and others) with secure access to the Internet, as well as to plans, project management tools, orders, schedules and updates.
With a Firetide High Performance Wireless Mesh Network you can:
• Provide secure access to Web-based applications and remote LAN/WAN resources for authorized users from anywhere on a site
• Save time (and money) with efficient communication via e-mail
• Enable inspectors, suppliers and subcontractors to communicate remotely, saving travel time, accelerating approvals and, thereby, reducing delays
• Send and receive plan updates, progress reports, work orders, supply orders and other vital documents quickly and easily at broadband data rates
• Provide voice over IP (VoIP) capabilities where cellular service is unavailable or simply to reduce communication costs
• Ensure secure communications with built-in strong encryption and pass-through support for separate virtual private network (VPN) solutions
• Easily pack up and move the entire communications network to the next job site
• Plug-and-Play Simplicity with Mission-Critical Security and Reliability
Plug-and-Play Simplicity with Mission-Critical Security and Reliability 
Mesh networking technology was originally designed by the U.S. Department of Defense for battlefield communications. So naturally, the solution had to be totally secure, ruggedly reliable and utterly simple to use. Unlike fixed wireless pointto multipoint (PTMP) networks, multiple paths between mesh nodes work around obstacles eliminating the need to worry about line-of-sight issues. This is particularly important on construction sites where large equipment moves about and structures rise, both of which can interfere with radio signals. Something as simple as a large piece of heavy equipment passing in front of a PTMP base station can render a fixed wireless solution useless.
A HotPort wireless mesh network is remarkably easy to deploy and operate. The mesh nodes find each other and form the mesh network all automatically. Simply place HotPort nodes wherever you need Ethernet connectivity for installing video cameras, wireless access points or others devices, and connect them to a power source. As a work site grows or changes, simply add or move HotPort nodes to extend or enhance coverage. Relocating a mesh network node is as easy as moving the node to its new desired location and re-connecting it to power.
Special features give the HotPort wireless mesh network its industry-leading performance, security and reliability. The ability to prioritize traffic maximizes bandwidth efficiency allowing the mesh to support video, voice and data communications simultaneously. Strong encryption, traffic filtering and support for Virtual LANs (VLANs) together help ensure the privacy and integrity of all your applications. And mesh-wide dependability is assured based on the self-healing nature of the Firetide Mesh Routing Protocol, which eliminates network-wide vulnerability to single
A Solid Return on Your Investment 
Until now, installing a construction site network required significant investment in networking equipment, cabling and technical expertise. No longer. Firetide mesh networks eliminate many of the costly elements of traditional wired networks. Because they are wireless, you avoid the costs of digging trenches and running cable, and potentially disrupting construction or damaging something. And the simplicity of deploying and operating the mesh also eliminates the need to hire an expensive network technician. The self-configuring mesh that readily overcomes wireless line-of-sight limitations even makes a detailed site survey unnecessary.
These savings, combined with the relatively low cost of a HotPort node, allow the system to pay for itself on the first job. Then, like a backhoe or a hammer, the mesh network can be used over and over again at other job sites.