tom higgins lknmurmhirgmailcom hope project seen devices early got hear folks talk largish install low income housing portland area news though well sort changes things underfunded non profits ptp spell desiressidebar us mucking around olsrd crude tunnels get sense network going interest httpwifinetnewscomarchives007973html mutiny meraki googlebacked firm ups prices changes features requires ads glenn fleishman meraki changed pricing feature model mesh networking system angering early users exiting beta meraki changed pricing service model requiring display advertising piece action handling billing abrupt change announced quietly last week resulted nascent networker revolt may early infrastructure builders abandon meraki continue expanding networks cost structure gone way control gone way two basic nodes meraki sells indoor outdoor priced 50 100 beta beta flag gone site still buy nodes price many features formerly included raise price 150 indoor 200 outdoor prices move range used much higherpriced metroscale hardware merakis system works little intelligence built nodes instead relying internethosted administrative system handle heavy lifting adding nodes requires configuration via web site node autodiscovers existing networks allowing addition gateway internet added meraki network increases bandwidth pool change puts tiers effect standard edition cheaper pricing doesnt allow billing user authentication offer custom splash page logo even network name gets meraki branding free net precedes local name standard offer private wpaprotected network owners without granular access control means group wants change small amounts access control access user use entrylevel version according forums includes lot early networks standard networks also cant whitelist handful devices means devices lack ability display web page authentication purposes cant even access network xboxes voip phones pro edition bypasses limitations essentially adding 100 per node license advanced control ability bill however several pro features previously version meraki sold beta many networks build business model pitch cities communities businesses financing 50 100 nodes pro version ups ante taking away network builders need according forums carrier class version pricing disclosed allows tiein existing user authentication system allows privatelabel version socalled legacy networks ones built last week continue run upgraded pro status extra cost upgraded pro limitations effect new nodes added legacy network must pro nodes theres option add standard nodes part whats causing ire meraki forums one networks kokua wireless praised editorial todays honolulu star tribune someone network noted merakis forums itll hard build business even pro level knowing meraki make drastic changes one network operator already flashed merakis alternate firmware formal release meraki displays advertising every page using variously call community messaging community messaging advertising platform messaging platform often euphemistic effect google adsgoogle meraki investorwill appear every page special toolbar requires installation means inserted using techniqueprobably framesthat might cause problems network operators insert localized messages limited extent theres option standard pro users disable advertising messaging bar theres disclosure revenue meraki splits network operator meraki handles billing pro users keep 20 percent gross revenue check web site alerted change assuming senior managementlargely bunch mit grad students turned roofnet clever commercial offeringhad fired shuffled new carrieroriented ceo hired far site shows gang surprises given open group communicating interested community building huge stumble community tells unaware changes come web site started new information 150 200 managed nodes meraki lost edge companies like tropos networks likely comparison tropos cisco belair motorola strix skypilot typically charge 2000 5000 nodes expensive ones including 5 ghz backhaul radios prices heavily discounted several sources told recently tropos nodes cost earthlink biggest customer 1000 multiple parties outside service provider 1000 clearly five times 200 similar outdoor piece gear belies several factors tropos using enormously highpowered radios capable producing maximum legal signal strength 24 ghz tropos sophisticated backend allows integration many popular management authentication systems using tropos vendors network gear substantially less trivial building one meraki pieces enormously larger coverage areas relative cost meraki moved towards equipment range without bringing robustness needed system hardware gotten rave reviews simplicity building network bits pieces good may flown window sent query merakis pr firm sunday morning dont expect update post monday tomflash em uphiggins tue 05 aug 2008 170807 0700 fork going gently post beta blues