In this video, Alan Fagan from EPS Global speaks with William Graves, Technical Solutions Lead at IP Infusion, at #WISPAPALOOZA in Las Vegas.  

They discuss the role of IP Infusion’s technology in the OpenWiFi ecosystem, particularly its capabilities in enhancing Wi-Fi experiences for business-class customers and Managed Service Providers (MSPs).  

Highlights include: 

• How OcNOS improves network performance and redundancy; 
• Interoperability;  
• Scalable, cost-effective architectures for Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs). 
• The benefits of pre-integrated bundles for simplifying OpenWiFi adoption for ISPs. 

William’s advice: Define your network, select the right carrier connections, and set up failover rules. 

Watch the video for expert insights on optimizing your network's performance. 

Alan: We're here in Las Vegas for WISPAPALOOZA, and I'm delighted to be joined this morning by William Graves from our partner IP Infusion. William is the technical solutions lead there, and he's going to talk about IP Infusion and OpenWiFi. 

William, can you explain to us how IP Infusion’s technology fits into the OpenWiFi ecosystem? 

William: If you look at OpenWiFi as an ecosystem, it blends in with other fixed wireless technologies, like LTE-based, CBRS-based, and 2.5-based solutions. It allows these providers to easily deploy, which means they can drive more capacity. As they do, that capacity needs to be backhauled to the ISP’s point of presence, and that's where we come in—we specialize in aggregating all these technologies. 

Alan: How does your technology improve the Wi-Fi experience for MSPs, especially for their business class customers? 

William: For business class customers, our technology is designed for carrier-class deployments. Just a week ago, we became the first open NOS vendor to be MEF 3.0 certified. This certification allows us to deliver MEF-quality services for direct point-to-point connections. By providing robust, open, multi-homing routing, we ensure high uptime for business customers, even under heavy loads. 

Alan: How does OcNOS complement the OpenWiFi stack to create a comprehensive network solution for WISPs? 

William: If you think about a WISP’s ecosystem, OpenWiFi covers the access portion, and we handle the aggregation layer. We provide openness at the aggregation, edge, and peering levels. WISPs can leverage OpenWiFi and other technologies, combining wireless and fiber to create a seamless ecosystem that handles all traffic efficiently. 

Alan: That’s interesting. Now, how does OcNOS enhance the capabilities of OpenWiFi deployments, especially in terms of carrier-grade requirements? 

William: A key feature is multi-homed traffic—if one path to the ISP fails, there's another redundant, highly available path to keep everything running smoothly. While Wi-Fi handles the wireless part, our contribution is to ensure continuous, reliable internet access with redundancy and flexibility for delivery. 

Alan: We’re surrounded by other hardware and software here that fits into the OpenWiFi ecosystem. How does IP Infusion ensure interoperability between your solutions and these other components? 

William: That’s the beauty of OpenWiFi—it’s open by design. OpenWiFi is focused on the access points, and Open LAN handles the aggregation layer. We integrate with Open LAN using VLANs and Layer 3 routing protocols, enabling smooth communication between the OpenWiFi hardware and the ISP infrastructure, which is essential for internet connectivity. 

Alan: Speaking of latency, OcNOS has low latency forwarding capabilities. How do these benefit real-time applications in OpenWiFi networks? 

William: By prioritizing traffic with our H-Cost system, OcNOS allows different types of applications—like critical business applications or less time-sensitive tasks—to receive tailored network performance. This prioritization helps ensure that real-time apps maintain low latency, which is crucial for business operations. 

Alan: We also have a disaggregated cell-side gateway here on display at our booth at WISPAPALOOZA. How do your solutions complement OpenWiFi in creating more flexible and cost-effective architectures for WISPs? 

William: Although it’s called a cell-side gateway, think of it as a disaggregated access router. WISPs can use this platform to manage all kinds of traffic—whether from OpenWiFi, XGS PON, or even backhaul services for wireless carriers. With scalable platforms ranging from 32 gig to 14.4 terabytes, this solution grows with the WISP’s needs, providing future-proof capabilities. 

Alan: EPS Global has been working with IP Infusion for a few years now, providing pre-integrated bundles with IP Infusion software and hardware from Edgecore or UP Space. How do these bundles simplify the adoption process for ISPs looking to implement OpenWiFi? 

William: The biggest benefit is simplicity. Instead of juggling separate vendors for hardware and software, WISPs get everything pre-integrated and supported by a single point of contact. This makes the procurement process easier, and with 24/7 support, any issues—whether hardware or software—are quickly addressed without the typical headache of managing multiple vendors. 

Alan: That’s a huge advantage for the ISPs. Thanks for sharing all this valuable information, William. 

William: You're welcome, Alan! It’s great to be here, and we’re excited about the future of OpenWiFi and our role in the ecosystem. 

Get Started with OpenWiFi today – speak to our experts who will guide you on the hardware and software you need for your project. 

Glossary of Terms 

• WISPAPALOOZA: An annual event for Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) where industry leaders and the WISP community gather to discuss the latest trends, technologies, and solutions in the wireless internet sector, aimed at empowering and growing the WISP industry. 

• OpenWiFi: An open-source platform designed to facilitate the deployment and management of Wi-Fi networks. OpenWiFi offers greater control, scalability, and cost efficiency for providers, making it ideal for large-scale network deployments and enhancing the end-user experience. 

• Open Networking: A networking approach that emphasizes the use of open standards, protocols, and software solutions, allowing operators to build more flexible, customizable, and cost-effective networks compared to traditional proprietary systems. This encourages interoperability and innovation within the networking industry.