Bay Area Backbone

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Backbone Map.png

The goal of the Bay Area Backbone Project is to provide a fast, IP microwave based networking between amateur high sites in the Bay Area. The backbone provides IP connectivity within the network and can provide public IPv4 address for full Internet connectivity when required.

The network is available to any amateur operator needing connectivity to, from or between supported sites.

Hosted Projects

  • Bay Area Mesh (AREDN)

Sites

Detailed site configuration can be found here.

Want to become part of the network? We'll provide everything you need to get connected.

ARIN

American Registry for Internet Numbers

Organizations

Points of Contact

Networks

Autonomous System Numbers

Backbone Network Structure

Radios

A minimal backbone endpoint consists of two radios providing a point-to-point link between two sites. Generally Ubiquiti airFiber 5XHD radios are used. In some cases a point-to-multipoint setup is used (generally where tower space is limited). In these cases we use the Ubiquiti LTU-Rocket to provide the multipoint target, with 5XHD radios (with alternate firmware) at the other ends.

Routers

Any router capable of supporting OSPF can be used to support the radios. We currently deploy the following:

  • Ubiquiti EdgeRouterX
  • Ubiquiti EdgeRouterX SFP
  • Mikrotik CRS112-8P-4S.
  • Mikrotik CHR

Software

The backbone network runs OSPF internally and BGP externally.

Backbone Links

Active

Planned

Proposed

Peering and IP Transit

The backbone network uses two IP Transits points to facilitate access to and from the public Internet using BGP.

Peering Information

History

The first backbone link, between Fish Ranch and San Bruno Mountain, was installed on the 23rd November, 2021 and became operational on 3rd September, 2022. The goal was to provide a solid connection across the Bay which the AREDN network could use. It had been observed by the AREDN network builders in Southern California, that a better quality and more stable network could be constructed by creating a solid, well engineered backbone, to which local community AREDN networks could connect.

Bay Area Mesh on the Backbone

Using the Bay Area Backbone to support the Bay Area Mesh has a number of advantages for the Mesh:

  • It easier to connect high sites to other high sites, especially when we're trying to connect different neighborhoods while avoiding mountain ridges.
  • High sites are often backed up with generator power. We provide battery backup ourselves, but that will only last so long.
  • High sites will be there when the Ham moves on. Because these are generally commercial sites with long histories of ham involvement, we are not a the whims of someones current housing situation or - in some cases - employment situation.
  • It's often easier for a neighborhood to connect up to a high site (or more than one) as they're less obstructed.

Status

The current health of the backbone is monitored here (internet)

Hardware

The mesh operates on the Backbone by creating point-to-point VLANs between mesh sites (these are called xlinks - see below). Mikrotik hAP ac2 nodes provide the the mesh endpoint hardware. The VLANs are passed across specific backbone links and traffic is not flooded across the backbone.

XLINKS

XLINKS are custom VLANs between sites which feed directly into the AREDN router. Think of them as DtD links, but only point-to-point.

Link VLAN A B Notes
San Bruno Mountain to Swallow 10 100.64.0.21 100.64.0.22
ORCA to Wolfback 11 100.64.0.17 100.64.0.18
ORCA to Fish Ranch 12 100.64.0.13 100.64.0.14
Fish Ranch to San Bruno Mountain (7) 13 100.64.0.10 100.64.0.9
San Carlos to Sunol Ridge 14 100.64.0.6 100.64.0.5
San Bruno Mountain to San Carlos 15 100.64.0.1 100.64.0.2
San Bruno Mountain to Fire Station 8 16 100.64.0.25 100.64.0.26
Fire Station 8 to Mount Allison 17 100.64.0.29 100.64.0.30 Subject to change as site uses VLANs extensively
Oxford to Wolfback 18 100.64.0.33 100.64.0.34
Fish Ranch to San Bruno Mountain (4) 19 100.64.0.37 100.64.0.38
San Bruno Mountain (7) to Black Mountain 20 100.64.0.41 100.64.0.42

Backbone links appear in the mesh labeled as xlink but are no different from any other link in the network. We are not building a hierarchy with the backbone at the top and the rest of the mesh hanging below. But the nature of the backbone, how it connects, and the way the mesh routing protocol operates, these links will provide preferred pathways between physically distance locations.

Contacts

  • Tim Wilkinson - KN6PLV - tim@sfwem.net
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