Abstract

Western Multiplex Corp. commissioned The Tolly Group to evaluate three of its Tsunami Wireless Ethernet Bridge pairs: the Tsunami 100, 100 Mbit/s wireless Ethernet, the Tsunami 45, 45 Mbit/s wireless Ethernet, and the Tsunami 10, 10 Mbit/s wireless Ethernet. Each device was either tested for Layer 2 or application throughput using a variety of frame sizes and signal attenuation levels. The majority of tests were conducted at the receiver threshold, which is defined as the greatest distance between two bridges where the link is maintained. Any further attenuation would extend the receiver beyond the threshold and would result in the link being terminated. Thus, the receiver threshold is the “worst case” scenario.

Summary of Tolly Group Evaluation of Western Multiplex Tsunami Wireless Ethernet Bridges

Note: This was pre-standard wireless technology.

Western Multiplex commissioned The Tolly Group to evaluate three of its fixed broadband wireless Ethernet bridges—Tsunami 100, Tsunami 45, and Tsunami 10—as cost-effective alternatives to leased lines or physical cabling in enterprise networks. The evaluation tested each product’s performance under worst-case, line-of-sight conditions, with an emphasis on maintaining Ethernet throughput over long distances. The testing period ran from November 2000 to February 2001.

Testing used Layer 2 frame throughput analysis and real-world file transfer benchmarks with variable attenuation to simulate increasing distance. Key findings include:

• Tsunami 100: Delivered full wire-speed throughput for both small (64-byte) and large (1,518-byte) frames even at the maximum rated attenuation (92 dB), showing no degradation in performance at long range.

• Tsunami 45: Achieved wire-speed for large frames and maintained 95% of maximum possible throughput for small frames at its 90 dB threshold. It retained 87% of application-level performance even at maximum attenuation (96 dB).

• Tsunami 10: Provided 90% of theoretical application throughput in best-case conditions and 91% at its 103 dB receiver threshold, proving strong consistency across ranges.

These results confirm that the Tsunami family of wireless bridges can reliably support high-speed Ethernet traffic over distances typically served by fiber or leased lines, offering a robust solution for remote or infrastructure-limited deployments.

Note: Western Multiplex was founded in 1979. It merged with Proxim in 2002. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2005 under the strain of multiple acquisitions including Agere's ORiNOCO WLAN product line.