prion27
New member
Summary: Network connectivity for devices that require it should be simple and stable
Background: Prior to wifi, computers were generally connected by wires to ensure speed and connection reliability. Since 1997 when 2.4 GHz was introduced and adoption was slow, approximatey a few million devices were connected globally. Flashing forward to 2024 where use has grown to billions of connected devices globally. In many track homes two or more 2.4 GHz networks generally compete (congestion) for the same 14 channels and strength to avoid collision in our homes and achieve simple and stable connections. This creates a network environment where the simplicity was intended but due to mass adoption of smart home technology and IOT devices, has resulted in network instability for our devices and most important reef tank controllers.
Not unlike what happened with server technology 20 or more years ago, vendors would tell customers the only way to ensure appication stabilty is to dedicate a server to each application. This created rediculous data centers filled with underutilized single use servers. This technical debt was simply unacceptable then and shouldn't be duplicated now in the form of buying new dedicated networking devices for critical device isolation or connectivity, as it ignores the real problem just like it did 20 years ago for servers.
Due to the average consumer being technologically unsophisticated, vendors tend to recommend using additional network devices to isolate or dedicate wireless networks to critical reef tank controllers and other uses, but likely make the network competition/congestion problem worse. New standards have become available with increased of speeds, improved error handling, reduced of costs, etc. but perhaps the architecture of our Hydros controllers didn't contemplate the mission criticality and dependence on network stablility and internet connectivity combined with the mass adoption and deployment of the 2.4 wifi standard.
If we look to other unforgiving use cases such as the military, healthcare and for my kids its their gaming devices, the answer is physical connection or chase fast wireless networks and protocols.
Solution Proposal: Without understanding the engineering of what is involved with my proposal, I am going to suggest the simplest answer, which is make a device/controller that is ethernet 10/100 capable. This could be a simple Hydros module to our standard home router with an ethernet cable or it could be implemented on a new controller not yet available. It presumes that the same controls available through wifi could be transmitted between the controllers via ethernet and then through the command bus cable.
Why: If it works for the rest of the technology world, it should work for Hydros! It eliminates wifi congestion as a problem, it still relies upon DHCP for network addresssing withing the home router, it leverages the same already available firewall security, it continues to use the same internet communication already in use within the home. Doesn't add any new equipment. Doesn't require any training. It would venture to say it would drop calls to CoralVue Support by greater than 50% or more within a year, allowing more time to be spent on new product development. This is the classic IT problem, speding too much time on "break/fix" activities which detract from strategic development work.
As someone that is responsible for critical networking technology/infrastructure, I feel that the stupid simple standard should apply when chasing standards is simply too costly. I find any suggestion that creating dedicted networks to a consumer grade protocol is simply a perceived bandaid and not a true solution. Please feel free to criticize my proposition, but I am sure that's what I would recommend a company do if I was in front of my CEO.
Background: Prior to wifi, computers were generally connected by wires to ensure speed and connection reliability. Since 1997 when 2.4 GHz was introduced and adoption was slow, approximatey a few million devices were connected globally. Flashing forward to 2024 where use has grown to billions of connected devices globally. In many track homes two or more 2.4 GHz networks generally compete (congestion) for the same 14 channels and strength to avoid collision in our homes and achieve simple and stable connections. This creates a network environment where the simplicity was intended but due to mass adoption of smart home technology and IOT devices, has resulted in network instability for our devices and most important reef tank controllers.
Not unlike what happened with server technology 20 or more years ago, vendors would tell customers the only way to ensure appication stabilty is to dedicate a server to each application. This created rediculous data centers filled with underutilized single use servers. This technical debt was simply unacceptable then and shouldn't be duplicated now in the form of buying new dedicated networking devices for critical device isolation or connectivity, as it ignores the real problem just like it did 20 years ago for servers.
Due to the average consumer being technologically unsophisticated, vendors tend to recommend using additional network devices to isolate or dedicate wireless networks to critical reef tank controllers and other uses, but likely make the network competition/congestion problem worse. New standards have become available with increased of speeds, improved error handling, reduced of costs, etc. but perhaps the architecture of our Hydros controllers didn't contemplate the mission criticality and dependence on network stablility and internet connectivity combined with the mass adoption and deployment of the 2.4 wifi standard.
If we look to other unforgiving use cases such as the military, healthcare and for my kids its their gaming devices, the answer is physical connection or chase fast wireless networks and protocols.
Solution Proposal: Without understanding the engineering of what is involved with my proposal, I am going to suggest the simplest answer, which is make a device/controller that is ethernet 10/100 capable. This could be a simple Hydros module to our standard home router with an ethernet cable or it could be implemented on a new controller not yet available. It presumes that the same controls available through wifi could be transmitted between the controllers via ethernet and then through the command bus cable.
Why: If it works for the rest of the technology world, it should work for Hydros! It eliminates wifi congestion as a problem, it still relies upon DHCP for network addresssing withing the home router, it leverages the same already available firewall security, it continues to use the same internet communication already in use within the home. Doesn't add any new equipment. Doesn't require any training. It would venture to say it would drop calls to CoralVue Support by greater than 50% or more within a year, allowing more time to be spent on new product development. This is the classic IT problem, speding too much time on "break/fix" activities which detract from strategic development work.
As someone that is responsible for critical networking technology/infrastructure, I feel that the stupid simple standard should apply when chasing standards is simply too costly. I find any suggestion that creating dedicted networks to a consumer grade protocol is simply a perceived bandaid and not a true solution. Please feel free to criticize my proposition, but I am sure that's what I would recommend a company do if I was in front of my CEO.
