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

Backbone Map

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

FCC

Federal Communications Commision

  • FRN: 0031037245

Experimental Licenses

Experimental 6GHz licenses for U-NII-5 band.

https://apps.fcc.gov/els

Backbone Network Structure

Radios

A minimal backbone endpoint consists of two radios providing a point-to-point link between two sites. Ideally a site provides at least two links so the network can be extended from that point. In some places we use point-to-multipoint radios to provide additional shared links from a single site. We currently deploy the following:

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

Backbone Links

Active

Planned

Proposed

Peering and IP Transit

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

Connections to these transit points are via Wireguard tunnels from the Oxford site. The Oxford site uses fiber as the primary with Starlink as the backup.

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.

Project: 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 connections between mesh sites (these are called xlinks - see below). Mikrotik hAP ac2 nodes provide the the mesh endpoint hardware. The traffic is routed between the specified IP addresses of the xlink. The underlying network may encapsulate this traffic if desired. We often use VLANs.

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 (4) 20 100.64.0.41 100.64.0.42
Fire Station 8 to Mount Allison 21 100.64.0.45 100.64.0.46

Backbone links appear in the mesh labeled as xlink but are no different from any other link in the network from AREDN's perspective.

Contacts

  • Tim Wilkinson - KN6PLV - tim@sfwem.net
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