50 Acres of High-Speed Wireless for High-Speed Racetrack
Introduction Telos Online is a large-scale Wireless Internet Service Provider (WISP) that offers fiber, VoIP telephony, and other web services to businesses in the Denver, Colorado area since 2000. The company owns and operates its own infrastructure, using Ubiquiti® products for all networks, from UAP to airMAX to EdgeMAX, to power a nimble business delivering reliable service with quick delivery times and affordable pricing. Founded in 1958, Bandimere Speedway is a full-time racing facility located at 5,869 feet elevation in Morrison, Colorado. It is approximately a mile long by a quarter mile wide and showcases a quarter-mile drag strip. Sanctioned by the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association), Bandimere Speedway holds more than 130 events a year, with peak crowds of 25,000 during a race weekend – almost 30,000 for its largest event.
WIRELESS REQUIREMENTS Initially, Bandimere Speedway had a small Wi-Fi network to handle ticketing for entrance gates and a small fiber network for its timing system. It realized it needed better coverage for the ticketing system, as well as Point-of-Sale (PoS) for third-party vendors, track security, and guest Wi-Fi, which must be high-performance and robust to handle heavy traffic loads.
Telos Online designed a large network using a mix of UAP, airMAX, and EdgeMAX products. After deployment, Ubiquiti equipment delivered Wi-Fi coverage to over 50 acres of event space at Bandimere Speedway’s largest event, the Dodge Mile-High NHRA Nationals held during July 20-22, 2018.
THE NEED FOR POWER
AC power was used for most of the deployment; however, solar and battery power were used as well. Several locations for equipment used solar power because running AC power was cost-prohibitive, while portable batteries powered airMAX Point-to-Point (PtP) links to Ubiquiti Access Points (APs) for temporary Wi-Fi coverage in rarely used locations.
NETWORK TOPOLOGY
Although there is a single physical network comprised of Ubiquiti products, Telos Online separated the UAP and EdgeMAX networks, using VLANs and static IP addressing. Two networks for device management keep the wireless payload traffic separate from management traffic to increase security. Static IP addressing also helped to secure the network, as it would be hard for anyone to join the under-the-radar management network. Telos Online also used strong passwords and separate VLANs for management.
NETWORK CORE AND WIRELESS ACCESS
The UAP XG Security Gateway feeds into the UAP XG Switch, which connected to multiple Ubiquiti Switches. Telos Online selected a variety of Ubiquiti APs, each handpicked for its advantages, to suit each AP’s location at Bandimere Speedway. The UAP BaseStation XG units are used to cover the east stands for the north and south ends of the track, as well as the Top Eliminator Club (TEC), an elevated seating area that can be rented out for private events. The TEC also uses the UAP SHD AP, and two UAP AC Mesh Pro APs deliver Wi-Fi to the TEC stands, which seat over 700 attendees. The Ubiquiti AC Mesh Pro and UAP AC LR APs are also deployed at various buildings, including the ticket offices. For better coverage, the UAP AC Mesh AP is frequently paired with the UMA-D antenna to deliver Wi-Fi to POS (Point-of-Sale) terminals for vendors in the stands, concessions area, fuel depot, and photo building.
VIDEO SURVEILLANCE
Telos Online also installed six Ubiquiti Video Cameras, model UVC-G3-AF, as part of the surveillance system. The UAP Switches run data and PoE to the cameras, and recordings are sent to the NVR located on the Ubiquiti Application Server.
OUTDOOR ROUTING AND SWITCHING
Telos Online deployed a variety of EdgeMAX devices. For outdoor routing, the EdgePoint® R6 is deployed in two locations. At the lower section of the west stands, it connects and powers three UAP AC Mesh APs, while at the north end of the track, the EdgePoint R6 connects and powers two UAP Video Cameras G3 and a UAP AC Mesh AP. For outdoor switching, the EdgePoint S16 is installed in three locations.
At the north and south ends of the east stands, an EdgePoint S16 connects and powers three UAP XG BaseStations and two additional Ubiquiti APs. On the tower roof, the EdgePoint S16 connects and powers a Ubiquiti XG BaseStation, a PrismStation AC, and a IsoStation AC. The EdgePower™ EP-54V-150W acts as a power supply for the EdgePoint S16. The EdgePower features dual hot-swappable power modules for increased reliability and offers remote monitoring – helpful for any troubleshooting. Telos Online installed many 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps UFiber links, which took advantage of the SFP+ ports of the EdgePoint S16 as well as the UAP XG Switch. The network’s throughput can easily be increased as bandwidth demands grow.
POINT-TO-MULTIPOINT (PTMP) LINKS Telos Online deployed several airMAX links around Bandimere Speedway to deliver wireless internet to various locations, including the photo building, upper west stands, and pole.
For PtMP links, the IsoStation™ AC and PrismStation AC act as APs, using horn antennas for sector coverage. A IsoStation AC and PrismStation AC are located on the tower roof, pointed towards different locations, and the second PrismStation AC is installed in the concessions area. Two CPE models, the LiteBeam® AC and NanoBeam® AC, are used. The LiteBeam AC was selected for its ease of deployment, excellent performance, and affordability; it is installed in various locations including the photo building, pole #1, the office, and the highway sign. The NanoBeam AC maximizes performance in a compact form factor and is deployed at multiple sites, including the upper section of the west stands.
UAP IN CHARGE The UAP devices are monitored and managed by the UAP Controller software or the UAP mobile app, while the UAP Video Cameras are managed via their software or mobile app. Software for the UAP devices and cameras, the Network Video Recorder (NVR), and UNMS run on the UAP Application Server.
UNMS SOFTWARE
The other Ubiquiti devices offer two options: a web UI interface for individual device management, as well as the Ubiquiti Network Management System (UNMS).
PLANS FOR UPGRADES To enhance the track experience for visitors, as well as the network’s performance and reliability, Bandimere Speedway and Telos Online plan more upgrades in the immediate future – all using Ubiquiti products. § live video feeds for on-site race viewing in real time § direct battery backup for EdgePower locations § private GPON system.