What should be a home telecommunications system?

I propose to consider, think about the concept of a home telecommunication system (Home Telecommunication System, HTS), and more specifically, its infrastructure.
Why is it needed? To use your gadgets, PCs and other various electronic devices that somehow use (or are potentially capable of) information streams, be it data transfer in all its forms or a variety of analog audio, video, ...
And how to do it? It is possible (and necessary!), But on the knees it is impossible, at least for this reason, and the concept) to assemble from all existing enterprise solutions.
So far, very general words have been heard; a little more detailed and concrete thought on the tree will flow further.

The purpose of the article: to create the most understandable idea of ​​what modern HTS should be; throw the grains :).
HTS "stack" - classic:
1) physical data transfer infrastructure, core infrastructure.
2) intelligent management of this infrastructure, system (and, possibly, user) services.
These are the basic, basic tasks. The rest will grow already above them. The rest is the existing and future software and devices, which, as it seems to me, will do the main features for the user and cash for the manufacturers of software / devices. The analogy with computers is quite acceptable: a technically standardized market, on the basis of which a huge amount (including $) of software and related hardware has grown. In other words: computers are HTS, software on computers is applications in HTS and a bunch of devices. The analogy with computers was also brought out because it clearly shows how HTS can be turned from another Manilism into a quite tangible product for manufacturers and consumers (sometimes I will broadcast with cliches).
HTS is just the next round of a way to organize work with information around a person in a home environment. And the next step is the operation of a single HTS network (Global HTS, GHTS).

By default, we are talking about the space inside the apartment, cottage, private house (hereinafter referred to as all types “house”) and the adjacent space. We consider everything specifically for the household market, home user.
First, typical user scenarios and their solution (disordered and unsystematic, with intersections).

1. User requests


1.1. Freedom of movement (mobility)


Objective: Move around your home with WiFi, Bluetooth devices (including having them stationary), without worrying about the location of the equipment (access points, AP), collisions with other equipment, your household appliances and your neighbors ...
Solution: WiFi networks and Bluetooth (BT) with controller and AP.

1.2. Media Freedom


Task: Watch, listen and even transmit media content with minimal movements, almost without thinking where to throw what next audio-video (AV) cable, how to set up broadcast over the network, etc.
Solution: (and here again briefly only general words are briefly) Implementation (and refinement) of surviving and promising standards related to the transmission and playback of multimedia on various devices.
A commonplace household example: playing an audio stream from a smartphone. The smartphone clings to the headphones via BT. I went around the corner, "unsuccessfully" turned away - and that’s it. How to change the situation without changing anything in user devices? In the house there is a BT network, and the headphones and smartphone are connected not to each other, but to the BT network; further obvious.

1.3. Access to the outside world (where the Internet, of course, is the main one)


Task: To have the fastest and most reliable connection with the outside world, without bothering your head, what is better here and now - your cable Internet, 4G, up to public WiFi, a neighboring network (if there is also HTS) ...
Solution: Find, analyze and optimally use all available resources (= communication channels) with the outside world.

1.4. People communication


Task: Communicate with text, voice, video without hesitation (hereinafter - see clause 3).
Solution: On top of solution p. 3

1.5. Data storage


Objective: Reliably store your (and not your) diverse data.
Solution: Storage using all available internal and external resources.

1.6. Smart House


Task: (auto) management of engineering systems at home.
Solution: you need a "brain" with a connection to these engineering systems.

[what else do we demand at home?]

2. Reality + a small look at the future


Let's quickly go through each item that we have today for each part.

2.1. Mobility


Here the iron implementation is of interest - suddenly the bike is already there; Data transmission technologies can not be discussed yet: we have on board WiFi, BT.
The propertiesHome router+ repeatersSmart systemsCorporate Budget ( Small Medium Business )
Functional1 APmultiple APs (mesh, but not always): poor use of FBand , lower speedmost likely there is no network auto-optimization
Complexity of usealmost plug'n'playrelatively simple setupplug'n'playqualification required
Cost$$$$$$$$$$

Only full-fledged WiFi controllers are suitable for our task, they are able to fully interact with clients, listen to both interference and other people's networks, then based on all the data obtained on the autopilot, it is optimal to distribute the power, frequencies and even the radiation direction of their APs (phase antennas). The closest thing is the expensive systems from the SMB segment, in which the functionality is cut off. As far as I understand, smart systems are gradually occupying a niche ( for example ; here, too, no mesh).
I don’t remember any network solutions for BT. If there is, then unique, non-standard, approximately as in the Tarson article and in the comments to it.

2.2. Multimedia


Unlike the previous paragraph, here - on the contrary, it’s not the devices that are of interest, but the standards and protocols used — what the infrastructure should support.
Well, here is a decent set of technologies, from conditionally standard / universal Miracast ), DLNA ) to vendor / proprietary AirPlay , Google Cast , WiDi and (for now?) Exotic WHDI . Looking into the ghostly future, if protocols like WiGig are launched , then multimedia standards will radically change / be created.
Total: we have a zoo without a clear leader.

2.3. Communication with the outside world


Also of interest are the protocols / standards by which our house looks outside (and look outside our house). You can, if desired, do classification, for example: wired and wireless, digital and analog, etc. Enough to list for now.
1. Of course, copper Ethernet, which is 10/100 / 1000Base-T. And even 10G.
2. The same, but optics. Here we remember about the built-in and SFP interfaces. The latter are not present in home equipment, but why not.
3. A little grab zone of responsibility of the operator / provider - different xPON , there are different branches / development of the type of GEPON.
4. Gradually dying xDSL . I suspect that technology lives and lives in many places on the planet, so we leave it.
5. Mobile (which is cellular) communication. Generations from 2G to 4G with an eye on 5G (a short tablet is at the bottom of the article ). In addition to the standards themselves, we also remember about the scatter of the frequencies used by country.
6. Satellite communications. Within our system - as another (Ethernet) channel.
7. Public WiFi. Visible open WiFi networks.
8. Digital broadcasting , five groups of ATSC, DMB, DTMB, DVB, ISDB formats. Looking ahead, we can immediately say - we cancel the analog broadcasting, it is too expensive to push it into the home system for processing resources.
9. Analogue telephone lines (FXO).

2.4. People communication


Communication takes place through the PSTN , which today includes from analog lines to mobile operators, and has not yet been regulated by state bureaucracies on the Internet. User terminals, from hardware to software: analog devices, mobile phones, specialized (video, SIP, DECT, etc.) terminals, software on devices.
At the moment, the average family is getting a decent variety of almost unconnected hardware and software clients working on almost all internal and external communication channels. Each person has a whole set of devices, and even if you throw away all little / rarely used ones and leave your smartphone, then there is a zoo of applications on it.

2.5. Data storage


Typical: in smartphones (photos), on computers (everything), for advanced ones - “clouds”. Particularly advanced (% fractions) are able to synchronize semi- and automatically.
There are no solutions for the average user, which allows you to store and use your data qualitatively (reliably, quickly, safely, on different devices, etc.) without going into the IT world.

2.6. Smart House


For all the previous tasks, there is some kind of understanding, quite understandable sets and combinations of technologies, devices. Immediately, once again bumping into another article about a smart home, usually something like “damn both your houses” breaks out. Who is much in what, and what just was not invented damn knows how many strange (for home) technologies. All decisions out of the box come down to a light bulb / socket controlled from a telephone (oh yes, smart home!). Everything else looks monstrous, non-replicable, expensive.
So far, with a stretch, more like a future than the present, pure software solutions such as assistants Alexa (Amazon) , Siri (Apple) , Google Assistant , Alice (Yandex) can be reckoned as a smart home. It is very likely that such a management of a smart home in the coming years should become de facto. So far, practical implementations, for example, Home Sapiens (thanks for the tip to the readers) have not been fired.

So what we have. User requirements do not correlate well with real implementations. A comprehensive solution does not exist. The situation for each type of functionality is approximately the same as in the WiFi tablet.

3. System Description


As seen by HTS.


3.1. Topology diagram


The complex is built on the principles of software-defined (SDx) systems under the control of AI (I use not fashion for the sake of it, but only for the sake of truth). It’s important that HTS should no longer work in the traditional paradigm (especially with handles of typed ones) of templates, but in real time dynamically provide an optimal telecom on its own. Wednesday at every moment in time.
HTS combines elements of both a centralized system (there is a core) and decentralized (components have some autonomy). Within the framework of GHTS, respectively, there is a general logic of interaction within GHTS and there is a full autonomy mode of HTS.

All system management is carried out by the main and required component of MainBox; it is the core and brain of the system. The remaining components (denoted as xBox) are optional, have their own specializations, contain a minimum of intelligence, but sufficient, for example, to work in the current mode when the kernel falls off.
WLBox provides all possible wireless interfaces.
MediaBox is designed to connect media devices (TV, monitors, computers) to HTS.
OutWLBox an option WLBox to install as close to the edges of the room, and for private households and outside the home. Among other things, it provides communication with mobile operators.
mWLBox is a truncated version of WLBox to support the most common WiFi and BT protocols. The more of them in the house, the better.
All interfaces between all HTS components - 1 / 2.5 / 5 / 10G Ethernet, WiFi and HomePlug - work as one communication channel. Each HTS component has these three sets of interfaces on board.
All external wired communications are also through MainBox , wireless - primarily through OutWLBox . The larger the AP, the lower their transmit power, the more segmented the radio range.
Each wireless interface of each component operates within its own distributed network. Network controllers (which are in MainBox ) know about each other and use this info (there is a conditional "supercontroller"). We get:
- optimal use of the radio frequency range within the HTS;
- lack of collisions within each network and between HTS networks;
- minimizing problems with other (uncontrolled HTS) interference sources;
- individual monitoring of the status of each user device, providing it with maximum channel bandwidth;
- automatic roaming and handover;
- And a whole series of specific and not very opportunities.
Wireless networks require minimizing the distance between components due to the features of the BT and WiFi protocols. In particular, small areas of the maximum achievable data rate. Especially for this purpose - mWLBox .
In the ideal case, when neighboring HTSs are also deployed and there is a connection between them (the higher speed, the better), all of the listed features work even more efficiently - all neighboring HTS not only automatically agree on the use of the radio range, but also they are trying to create a single network (taking into account some restrictions, for example, a ban or a strong restriction on the use of external connections of neighboring HTS with limited traffic).
On top of such a topology, a distributed file storage and transfer system (let's call it DSSEF - Distributed System Storage and Exchange File) is launched, acting in the interests of both users and the GHTS operator (s). Current DSSEF Prototypes - IPFS , DeNet

3.2. Components


Common for all HTS components:
- Power supply from both the mains and PoE (except for the MainBox itself );
- Interfaces for operation in the HTS network - 1 / 2.5 / 5 / 10G Ethernet, WiFi and HomePlug;
- have the most common interfaces for working with user devices, such as WiFi and BT;
- filling (except for MainBox ) - bundles of SoC + FPGA;
- On board a set of Big Brother for the work of a smart home; something like this: a camera, a microphone, a speaker, a variety of sensors (movement, temperature, humidity, light, etc.); there is also a separate serious section for study;
- the entire logic of the operation of the radio interfaces, from control to radio modules, is reprogrammable ( examplesimilar ideology), which will allow eliminating bugs, choosing regional templates, changing parameters when changing regional standards without changing hardware and without user intervention;
- the mode of maintaining maximum performance in case of loss of the core.

3.2.1. Mainbox

Includes server, switch, set of wireless interfaces and UPS.
The whole set of software is spinning on the server - virtual machine (s) / OS, controllers, etc. The composition of iron (processor, memory) will be understood after the specification of tasks, understanding the composition of software. Very pre - desktop processor level Core i5 / i7, Ryzen 5/7.
The switch, as in all other components, works on the principle of SDN. Ethernet ports looking inside an HTS network are no worse than PoE + (30 W). Ideally, 60 watts. Also, through it, all wired connections are outward to the service providers (Communications service provider, CSP).
The UPS provides the entire complex with power. It is built on the ideology of online conversion (perhaps something similar to the development of R4ABI ).

3.2.2. Wlbox

The component that provides network connections:
- inside HTS;
- HTS with home devices;
- between HTS within the GHTS.

The set is something like this:
- WiFi: 802.11ac and 802.11n with development to ax , ad with development to ay , aj, af , ah ;
- BT: BT 5 ;
- IoT: Zigbee , Z-Wave , LPWAN kit ;
- DECT;
- Ethernet: autosense 1 / 2.5 / 5 / 10G (PoE 802.3bt Type 4 - for MainBoxexactly; possibly for components that the user plugs into the mains). For the network of HTS components and for connecting home devices;
- HomePlug: HomePlug AV2 ;
- Femtocell (or Picocell): a big question (need to dig).
The desired specification is listed. There is a convention in breaking down into groups; for example, some WiFi standards are also used for IoT. All protocols / standards are at their maximum. The result should be a compromise, first of all, between technical functionality, dimensions, compatibility. An antenna-feeder system should be designed that covers all (or the vast majority) of the implementation of the interfaces used. Serious R&D is required.

3.2.3. mWLBox

A heavily truncated version of WLBox with the most common interfaces (WiFi, BT) for installation in conditional white spots. The more installed in the house, the better.

3.2.4. Outwlbox

It provides the operation of user devices at the border of the house, communication with external wireless networks: mobile operators, satellite navigation systems. The main tasks:
- coverage of the internal and nearby external borders of the house;
- Communication with user devices outside the home, their allocation from a high-speed intra-home network;
- voice communication and data transmission over networks of cellular operators;
- geolocation by satellite navigation systems;
- Connect with neighboring HTS;
- Connect with neighboring open WiFi networks (backup channel in case of a major accident).
It is installed on the border of the house; options:
- apartment: by the window, on the balcony / loggia;
- private house: by the window, on the outside of the wall.
The set of interfaces is similar to WLBox with fewer Ethernet and USB ports, plus cellular operators ( 3/4 / 5G) satellite global and regional navigation systems (GPS, GLONASS, ...).
In the future, for private homes, you can develop a separate version of OutWLBox for installation on the roof.

3.2.5. Mediabox

A component that enables media devices to work in HTS. In fact, it consists of two parts: a set of wireless interfaces and MediaCenter . The composition of the set of wireless interfaces is similar to the WLBox with possible minor adjustments. If a MediaBox is installed in the room , then the WLBox in the same room will most likely be redundant.
Tasks of MediaCenter :
- transfer of multimedia (audio, video) stream to display / sound devices (monitors, TVs, projectors, various audio amplifiers) via standard multimedia interfaces (HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, analogue audio);
- work on wireless standardized and vendor protocols with devices supporting them (see clause 2.2);
- receiving a multimedia stream via standard interfaces from user devices.

4. General considerations



The system is very complex for hardware, and especially for software. Soft, eat-but, must be accompanied. And all this must be sold on a large scale, and not within one country.
It seems to me that only giants of the type (in alphabetical rather than probabilistic order) such as Cisco, Google, HP, Huawei and the like can pull the development of such a system [I threw my offer in a couple of these offices (in a different form, but :)) - complete ignore]. Why - I already said the reason: even the components are very difficult to implement, let alone the system as a whole. For example, just look at how long and painfully these same companies build only their WiFi solutions. Similarly with network monitoring. And when did the concept of SDN appear, and where is it now? And so you can walk on many key things.
On the other hand, there are a number of reasons why the idea of ​​HTS inside these offices is not likely to fire.
The idea of ​​a company from scratch to implement (at least development) HTS is tempting. In addition to decent financial investments and competent (yes, already ridiculous, but let me imagine) management, the most important thing will remain - sales.

Above is just one of the options for the system. It is good for its huge potential capabilities, bad for bulkiness due to the fundamental approach similar to large corporate systems. Most likely, such systems will develop in a different, reverse way - from small to large. Now you can see the first sprouts, very slowly approaching from all sides. Gradually, a large number of disparate conditionally “smart” devices appear, from the famous light bulb to more or less complex smart homes.
One of the options for starting the implementation of the idea: developing the architecture of the entire solution, but creating and implementing a system consisting only of the first version of the kernel in the form of a router with some minimal set of functionality and mWLBoxwith the expectation that in the future only the full-featured kernel should be replaced. Further equip the system with various components, whether it is socket blocks, various clocks, small audio speakers and other numerous devices that already exist and surround us - many HTS components can be built into them.

As I see it, HTS, especially GHTS, which implements smart telecom. the home’s infrastructure has huge mutually beneficial potential for all participants in the system (iron and software manufacturers, sellers, network operators and services and, of course, users).

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