Getting the Most out of your SignalFire Wireless Mesh Network

Getting the Most out of your SignalFire Wireless Mesh Network

SignalFire Repeater Node

SignalFire Repeater Node
installs easily on a fence
post or pipe.

Getting the Most out of your SignalFire Wireless Mesh Network

Like any radio network, there are multiple factors that impact how far a signal from one of  SignalFire’s Sentinel Nodes will travel. Under good conditions SignalFire Sentinel Systems can operate at ranges of up to a mile. Other Systems such as our “In-A-Stick” systems can go much much further. Under poor conditions reliable communications can fall to a few hundred yards. There are 2 keys to getting the most range out of your system:

  • Height – There is no substitute for height. The higher the sentinel, or the gateway is off the ground the better. Units on top of tanks will go much further than ones at the bottom of tanks.
  • Line of Sight – Anything that interferes with or comes close “line of sight” will reduce range.

Sometimes achieving these conditions is not possible. With SignalFire there is still an answer. The SignalFire Repeater Node can be easily deployed anywhere in SignalFire’s Self Forming, Self Healing Mesh Network

If a Sentinel node attached to a sensor cannot communicate with the Gateway it can communicate with any other SignalFire node that that is configured as a router which in turn will forward its information to another node or directly to the gateway. Router nodes have always on radios that are typically powered by either solar systems or line power. Examples of router nodes include the Modbus-in-a-Stick, Counter-in-a-Stick, and Solar Powered Sentinels.

Occasionally router nodes are not available or feature like a hill or tank may be in the way. In that case the system needs a little help. The SignalFire Repeater is designed to provide a dedicated routing node that can be located independently. Designed for easy deployment it the Repeater will mount easily to a fence post or pipe. The repeater has a powerful 300 mW radio, high gain omni directional antenna and robust high capacity, long life IQ battery system for reliable operation.