What is everyone using for multiple port timing? It seems that the only option from Cambium is the CMM5. What other products are everyone using to inject power and timing using multiple ports?
We’ve been using PacketFlux for years… their RackInjector product is well made, modular and value priced.
Pretty soon though we’ll probably be using more of Cambium cnMatrix tower line. It provides L2/L3 switching, PoE, and Cambium sync all in one box.
Here’s a picture of the soon to be released product:
1 Like
Looks very impressive. Do you know when it is expected to be released?
The TX2020 will be available at distributors in June. US MSRP on the TX2020R-P is $2327. There will also be an 8+4 port version, the TX 2012R-P for $1585.
We use Cambium CMM5 units on our mountaintops where we have multiple APs, then just the power injector with the GPS tied to the AP on our valley sites.
We were intrigued by the cnMatrix line that @Eric_Ozrelic posted, but don’t think it would fit into our model. We thought hard about it though and may do a bit more research when replacement/upgrade time comes 
We are lucky enough to have a fiber presence at most of our mountaintop sites and almost all valley sites, so optical ports are necessary as we often pick up fttx services and 4 ports would not be enough in a lot of cases.
Are there any specs on these two new products?
Assuming SFP and SFP+ ports are gig, or are they 10G?
SPF are 1G max SPF+ are 10G max
1 Like
Is the TX device firmware upgraded via cnMaestro or another method?
You can monitor it, track performance, grab support files, perform diagnostics, upload new firmware, and even backup and upload configuration via cnMaestro.
One of the big things I was looking at is replacing CTM-2.
The footprint that is required to replace these with a CTM-5 is huge. The CTM-2 takes up 1U in the cabinet. The CTM-5 can take up 2U if multiple injectors are required and then if the site is not DC additional power supplies will take up another 1U or more.
The cnMatrix TX series looks like it will just use 1U in the cabinet and I like having everything on the front panel.
Looking forward to the release.
2 Likes
Curious if Cambium has a data sheet available to share.
You should start up a new thread in the cnMatrix area of the forum.
So for current multiport options I have only seen CTM-5 and packetflux? Any others?
There’s some products from 9dot, and Last Mile… but we haven’t used either product.
Every WISP I work with pretty much uses PacketFlux.
Thanks everyone for the feedback
I stopped using CMMs all together or single point for timing for new deployments.
Each AP we deploy runs it’s own independent cnPulse. Each AP gets SFP, Fiber and DC power. No more Cat5E cables. I will be moving to a hybrid cable system but it’ll be the same principle fiber, and DC and stopping the Cat5e issues and distance restrictions.
Even the 450m in 5GHz gets DC powered using the 850 mini power adapter.
Dear Eric.
Thanks a lot for mention 9dot in your post, and I would like to take the opportunity to describe our GigaSync.
The main characteristic of our PoE Injector GigaSync are:
- Protection TVS & GDT + Galvanic Isolation LAN/PoE + Short Circuit Protection on each PoE port
- Power up to 3A/port (150W/port)
- Cambium/Canopy Sync
- Remote Management
- Modularity (every cartridge can work in different Voltage 12,24,48,54 V. Floating Ground)
- Flexibility (Different Pinout for each PoE port)
Below is a picture from our 9dot LAB of NCore Lite, GigaSync, and LiteSync.
GigaSync is powering and providing synchronization simultaneously to:
- 4 Cambium devices by PoE cartridges
- 2 Mikrotik Switches by Terminal cartridge
We are glad to provide you with any answer and solutions to anyone.
Email addresses and website:
support@9dot.it
sales@9dot.it
We just recently deployed two of the Gigasync units at one of our tower sites. We are running 8 Cambium 450 5GHz Medusas, 7 SIAE backhauls, an old 2.4GHz 450, and a few Ubiquiti devices.
I like the flexibility of the 9dots. I also like that each 4port module (including the management module) has two power plugs for redundant power sources that it can load balance from. I also like that you can run a universal GPS and cnPilot for redundancy. It’s flexible, it modular, it has surge protection built in, and it’s not a switch. I dislike powering equipment from a switch.
Couple of things that could be better:
-
Having the port key in the front like the LiteSync, so we don’t have to power off other devices if we want to change the output of one port.
-
Get GPS info from the cnPulse like it does from the universal unit (how many SAT etc.)
-
GUI is sometimes slow to take commands, and SNMP options need to be in the GUI and easier to adjust.
Overall this is an amazing option for condensing all the power sources on a site (plus provide timing). Now I only need to know if it will stand the test of time.
3 Likes