NITRO

[IMPRES2]

For the select few who actually have their hands on a Nitro system:

Elaborate on your deployment of the outdoor CBSD with or without using the optional sector panel-antennas? Have you deployed a single-node or multi-node network; and what issues have you experienced first hand?

 

[TampaTyron]

Deployed 3 systems so far. These observations are as of late September 2019. Things change at a quick pace with this stuff. A couple of things:

-Outdoor CBSDs require 2 antennas (or 4).
-Network cabling requires 2 cables from switch to firewall, 2 cables from switch to PTP timing source, 1 cable from firewall to network provider, and 1 cable from switch to each CSBD.
-Nitro requires a static public IP.
-Make sure you know your public IP and whatever internal LAN IP you are assigning the Firewall.
-Gather all of your serial numbers, antenna gains/heights/directionality prior to installing any equipment.
-Nitro is just another way to get to Wave On Cloud, so you can create a large system of connected devices easily (you will be paying for it though).
-Still trying to write my own test procedure for checking coverage/roaming in a system once it is installed (likely be a smartphone with a Cell Info style app and also walking the site with a professional LTE test device).
-Be careful of anyone calling themselves an expert.
-The portal can still be a challenge regarding permissions and getting things added to your account (Partner vs. Customer).
-Once everything is loaded, it takes between 6 and 24 hours for the SAS to give you a frequency solution and the CBSDs come up (depending on your distance from the coast and if the RF gods are smiling on you that day).

Anything specific you are looking for? TT

 

[TampaTyron]

Just to add a few more items as I see that I missed some of the original questions:

-All of my installs are multi CBSDs, typically 1 outdoor and 1 to 6 indoor units.
-Have not done sectorized antennas yet. IBWAVE coverage modeling and very short RF jumpers are your friend (outdoor CBSD needs to be mounted at the antennas or as close as practical).
-LTE requires ultra short RF cabling and 3.5Ghz requires ultra low loss cabling, LMR400 is not your friend.
-The Nitro SLN1000 PTT device can be made into a wifi hotspot (per the Install and Config manual), but I have not gotten that to work yet. I am expecting it to be usable after the next round of firmware updates (soon).
-This is LTE, really big scary stuff!!! Just kidding, it seems simple and time will tell how the shift to subscription models will be accepted by Partners and Customers.

TT

 

[IMPRES2]

I appreciate the info; I work for a Partner and heard we were getting a system for demo purposes at our office. So figured I would ask around to see what others have experienced hands on before I start planning for integration

 

[TampaTyron]

I appreciate the info; I work for a Partner and heard we were getting a system for demo purposes at our office. So figured I would ask around to see what others have experienced hands on before I start planning for integration

I work for a large manufacturer and assist with deploying technology like this. Maybe we will run into each other. TT

 

[TampaTyron]

IMPRES2,
What part of the country are you in (be as generic as you need to)? TT

 

[IMPRES2]

IMPRES2,
What part of the country are you in (be as generic as you need to)? TT

About 64 Nautical Miles NW of you

 

[Cameron314]

Can Nitro be installed on an existing network (LAN) or does it need dedicated cabling back to some central device? You say it needs Public IP's is that every AP or just some central controller?

 

[IMPRES2]

Can Nitro be installed on an existing network (LAN) or does it need dedicated cabling back to some central device? You say it needs Public IP's is that every AP or just some central controller?

I highly recommend you contact a Motorola Channel Partner that sells Nitro to get the best answers. (I was advised I’m not allowed to directly answer those questions publicly).

 

[TampaTyron]

If you have access to MOL or LMS, the NITRO docs are available (System Planner, Install and Config manual, etc). It is designed to be exceedingly simple by design. 1 static public IP, then completely separate cabling for the rest of the infrastructure (due to latency and bandwidth). Most people are still scared of it though. TT

 

[Cameron314]

I highly recommend you contact a Motorola Channel Partner that sells Nitro to get the best answers. (I was advised I’m not allowed to directly answer those questions publicly).

Thanks but not really necessary more just curious at this point, there doesn't to be a lot of information out there at this point.

 

[Cameron314]

If you have access to MOL or LMS, the NITRO docs are available (System Planner, Install and Config manual, etc). It is designed to be exceedingly simple by design. 1 static public IP, then completely separate cabling for the rest of the infrastructure (due to latency and bandwidth). Most people are still scared of it though. TT

Thanks.
Will be interested to see how it works. Had a Moto shop that bought it up in a meeting with a mutual customer but they didn't seem to know a whole lot about it, but if they haven't figured out to get it to work over existing infrastructure it's likely a no go for this customer.

 

[TampaTyron]

So far, we have had people assign us an internal private IP and we forward the traffic from the public internet to our Firewall, which would sit inside their network. The static IP is for security of IP tunnels between the customer site and LTE Core, SAS, Wave On Cloud, and CBSD backend. But, the downstream of the Firewall is all on separate switches and cabling. I am sure this is a no go for some people as outlined above. However, several IT departments that I have worked with are relieved that it isn't flowing over their internal network. Many of the legacy switches and routers cannot meet the latency/bandwidth requirements. This is LTE after all and requires very low latency inside the RAN. For the most part, the bandwidth is not terrible, but for a small place that has 4 or 5 1998 vintage Linksys routers daisy chained together, it can be problematic. TT

 

[Cameron314]

So far, we have had people assign us an internal private IP and we forward the traffic from the public internet to our Firewall, which would sit inside their network. The static IP is for security of IP tunnels between the customer site and LTE Core, SAS, Wave On Cloud, and CBSD backend. But, the downstream of the Firewall is all on separate switches and cabling. I am sure this is a no go for some people as outlined above. However, several IT departments that I have worked with are relieved that it isn't flowing over their internal network. Many of the legacy switches and routers cannot meet the latency/bandwidth requirements. This is LTE after all and requires very low latency inside the RAN. For the most part, the bandwidth is not terrible, but for a small place that has 4 or 5 1998 vintage Linksys routers daisy chained together, it can be problematic. TT

So you are just building a parallel network.

My company owns and operates a large wide area LTE network(macro sites) and have found at least the venders we us or have tested it is fairly resultant and operates well over an IP network, unlike some of the older tech that wasn't designed with IP transport in mind. But who knows, Moto is new at this.