Installation Overview

Philly Community Wireless has partnered with PhillyWisper to install antennas for our free WiFi network on rooftops in the Norris Square, Fairhill, and Kensington neighborhoods. PhillyWisper is a wireless internet service provider (WISP) which means our project delivers the internet the "last mile" to our customers using radio technology.

Philly Community Wireless seeks to build community-owned and community-operated wireless mesh network technologies. This page describes our process for installation and the type of network we are trying to build over a large expanse of the city. In a typical home network, all 'access points' (APs) are hard-wired to your router via Ethernet cable. In a mesh network, access points can not only be hard-wired, but connect to each other wirelessly, allowing a single Internet connection to be shared with significantly less infrastructure and labor than hard-wiring every single AP.

Rooftop Installation Process

Most installations proceed in the following order:

1. Building Assessment - A new address is submitted to us. We check if the address has line of sight (LoS) to a PhillyWisper high site using Google Earth and other mapping tools, and we conduct both remote and in-person building assessments as part of developing an install plan. For more information, please see Building Assessments page.

2. Install Planning - If there is LoS, we communicate with the resident or community organization to determine their connectivity needs, as well as needs of neighbors and the general area. This helps us determine what sort of access points and networking equipment to bring, as well as how much cable we will need. Once the logistics for the initial install are determined, an install date is set!

3. Establish uplink - On the day of the install, PCW will begin by installing the uplink radio pointing back at a PhillyWisper high site, usually a LiteBeam. This provides the internet connection.

4. Deploy access points - Once the uplink is set up, we can begin running cable on the roof or through the buliding and deploying WiFi access points as needed, either indoors or outdoors. For more info, see our Configure AP-Mesh Guide and our Configure ERX Router Guide

During residential installs, we either broadcast a private network for the resident to use from the same access points broadcasting the public PCW network, or provide an additional router for the resident to have their own private network that gets its uplink from the PCW network.

Length of Time for Antenna Installations

Typically, installs take between two and four hours to complete, but in certain cases they can take longer. The full installation process, from a rooftop antenna to a wall-mounted mesh kit, can involve 2-3 visits, each involving an hour or two of work.

Hardware for Installation

Internet installations typically consist of a rooftop antenna, a power-over-Ethernet injector, a router, and a WiFi access point (all of which are typically Ubiquiti networking equipment). During installation we take every effort to minimally impact buildings. At any given install site, our installation work will be customized to ensure the least invasive and most secure placement of networking equipment, according to industry standards.

For most locations, we first install a Ubiquiti LiteBeam antenna on the roof of the home, which receives signal from a nearby high site managed by PhillyWisper. To install the rooftop antenna, PhillyWisper technicians will access a high point and mount a small radio antenna (approx 14" x 11" x 11", see attached images of various mounting techniques below) that they precision aim at the closest source tower. For mounting the radio, we never penetrate the roofing system itself, and wherever possible we utilize preexisting structures (chimneys, vent pipes, etc). If preexisting structures aren't an option, we use a non-penetrating roof mount, which is properly weighed down and rests on a rubber mat on top of your roof.

The rooftop radio gets powered via outdoor-rated Ethernet cable that runs into the home (our equipment uses Power over Ethernet (PoE), so we can power outdoor devices with Ethernet from an indoor outlet). We make sure the wire run is as inconspicuous and secure as possible. We try to use preexisting penetrations into the building from previous ISPs, and we seal any holes to the exterior.

In general, we will install a Ubiquiti LiteBeam antenna on the roof of the home, which receives signal from a PhillyWisper tower. The antenna is wired into the home via an Ethernet cable. Currently, this part of the install must be completed by a PhillyWisper technician. For installation purposes, this means PhillyWisper technicians will need to mount a small radio antenna (approx 14" x 11" x 11") at roof height and precision aim it at the closest tower.

PhillyWisper and Philly Commuinity Wireless take every effort to minimally impact buildings during installation. They use non-invasive techniques when mounting the radio (see attached images of various mounting techniques below). They never penetrate the roofing system itself and they try and utilize preexisting structures (chimneys, vent pipes, etc) when possible.

If preexisting structures aren't an option, they will use a non-penetrating roof mount, which is properly weighed down and rests on a rubber mat on top of your roof. They then secure an outdoor-rated network cable from the radio on the roof, down along the building exterior, and inside where your WiFi router will be located.

Both PhillyWisper and Philly Community Wireless make sure the wire run is as inconspicuously as possible and ensure there is plenty of tension on the wire so that it doesn't flap in the wind. If there are any preexisting penetrations entering the building from previous ISPs, they will use that if possible and caulk when finished.

Installation Examples

Non-Penetrating Roof Mounts

We utilize non-penetrating roof mounts (NPRM). A thick rubber mat is placed below the NPRM to protect the roof. 4 cinderblocks are used as ballast to secure the NPRM.

Mounting on existing roof structures

We also often use j-arm mounts or pre-existing mounts from prior telecommunications installations (old Satellite dishes)to mount our equipment.

WiFi Access Points Overview

Outdoor Wifi APs

Hosts of rooftop installations will also host a router in the house near the window to the front of the house. In some cases we may install a wall-mounted access point on the outside of the house to propagate the broadband signal throughout the neighborhood.

Indoor Router and Access Points Overview

The Ethernet cable is passed through a Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) injector, which adds power to the signal the Ethernet cable is carrying and allows downstream devices to be powered solely through Ethernet.

The powered Ethernet cable is wired to a Ubiquiti EdgeRouter-X (or possibly another router in the future) configured to support mesh networking. The router handles traffic for each of the access points (APs) it is meshed with.

Finally, a Ubiquiti Mesh AP ("bunny ears" because look at them!) is connected to the router and allows devices in its radio signal range to connect to the network. The bunny ears should be installed in a location that is radio-visible to the mesh APs at the home installs in range.

For more information on configuring our access points, see our Configure AP-Mesh Guide

Considerations When Installing a Mesh Node

Mesh nodes are installations where we do not use a Litebeam, but instead set up a wireless access point that meshes from a nearby access point wired to a router and Litebeam at a local hub. As documented by Unifi, several factors must be considered when building a mesh network:

• Mesh networks should be supplemental - Although mesh networks can operate comporably to a hard-wired network, connection quality and speed can be greatly affected by radiofrequency (RF) noise and obstructions between APs such as walls, trees, or other structures.

• Mesh 'hops' should be minimized - A meshed AP should only have one 'parent' - each mesh 'hop', or mesh connection between APs, results in a significant performance decrease. Ideally, there should be a maximum of two 'hops' - e.g, a mesh AP meshes with another mesh AP, which then meshes to a hard-wired AP.

• Limit conncurrent connections to a 'parent' - Similarly, meshing too many APs to the same 'parent' creates additional RF noise and performance demands on the parent, resulting in decreased performance and stability.

• Ensure strong signal strength between meshed APs - Ideally, a meshed AP will have clear Line-of-Sight (LoS) to its mesh parent. A signal strength of -60dbm is recommended for ideal performance. Ensure minimal obstructions between the meshed AP and the parent, such as walls, trees, furniture, etc.