Exalt Communications, Inc.
EX-5i Installation & Management
5000005
57
2006-05-17
If the radio link has been operating without issues, and has exhibited new behavior of poor
performance or has become completely inoperative, the troubleshooting process should pay close
attention to any conditions that may have changed between the time when the system was
working without issue and the time when issues started. Also, it can be helpful to compare some
performance parameters of the system before and after the presence of issues. Often the source of
the issues can be determined by thoughtful consideration of changes, such as:
•
Changes in weather, including high winds
•
Changes made to the radio equipment, transmission system or connected equipment
•
New radio systems or electronic equipment nearby radio or transmission system
•
New construction nearby either end of the link, or along the path
•
Growth of trees, flooded fields, changes in rivers/lakes along the path
Verify that configurations are set as follows:
•
RF Frequency matches at each end
•
Bandwidth matches at each end
•
Link distance matches at each end
•
TDD Frame Length matches at each end
•
Endpoint Identifier is different at each end (one end Radio A, one end Radio B)
•
Ethernet interfaces are enabled, as desired
•
AUX Ethernet is set for in-band, or out-of-band NMS, as desired
•
T1/E1 enabling matches at each end
•
Link security key matches at each end
Also, the
ExaltCalc
should have been used in the design phase to determine optimum setting of
Bandwidth and TDD Frame Length for the given link distance, and provides guidance to the
expected RF link performance as well as the throughput, latency and number of T1/E1/DS3
circuits supported.
6.2 Typical Indications of Issues
In many cases, microwave radio users will not notice changes or degradation to the radio system
until the radio system fails completely or becomes highly errored or significantly intermittent.
However, regular management of the radio system can help indicate changes in performance that
have not yet impacted user performance, but may impact performance at a later date if left
unchecked or unaddressed. In this manner, the administrator has the opportunity to be very
proactive, by monitoring the radio link performance regularly, and watching for unexplained or
unexpected changes in performance and trends in performance changes.
Most importantly, monitoring radio system received signal level (RSL) over time will indicate
that the performance of the radio system is relatively steady. If there is a long-term drop in RSL,
this should be addressed. If there is erratic or unsteady RSL, this should be addressed. Some
level of RSL changes are to be expected, and weather patterns and related multipath will cause
dramatic RSL changes that may result in system outage. However, that outage should not occur
