User's Manual

Understanding Silver Spring Networks Access Points 1 About Access Points
Understanding Silver Spring Networks Access Points Rev 3 22 January 2013 Silver Spring Networks 8
Cellular Modem
Currently, the modem is a Sierra Wireless AirLink, RavenX, RavenXT, or RavenXE
depending on AP model and country location.
Addressing Schemes
Silver Spring’s addressing scheme is based on the Internet Protocol (IP) suite. Each network
device has one or more IPv6 addresses within the LAN. The Access Point will typically have
an IPv4 address assigned to the WAN side. A 6in4 tunnel carries the data over a cellular
carrier or Ethernet-based backhaul to the head end, where the tunnel is terminated, and IPv6
traffic is carried through to UtilityIQ, GridScape, or HCM. A high-level conceptualization of
the NAN-to-WAN networks that AP traffic traverses is shown in Figure 3.
The Access Point is the central link between the utility’s enterprise management systems and
the endpoint devices such as Silver Spring-enabled electricity, water, gas meters, bridges,
External Communications Modules, and Fault Circuit Indicators.
The Access Point is a vital part of the smart grid network, which extends secure, real-time
measurement and control interfaces (with full, two-way communications) throughout the
network and to the customer premises.
The Access Point provides a highly reliable connection to RF devices over a NAN. It
communicates with intelligent endpoints, including meters and Bridges. The Access Point
can also pass information through multiple Silver Spring Relays or through Silver Spring -
enabled electricity meters or Master Bridges. And it offers multiple paths to each endpoint,
through sophisticated mesh network routing that ensures greater reliability and redundancy.
The Access Point also provides WAN connectivity to your utility’s mission-critical
applications through digital cellular or Ethernet connections.
Figure 3. APs in the Silver Spring Network