Client: Olympia Odos

is a major motorway concession project in Greece, which is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of a key highway network in the country. It covers the Athens-Patras-Corinth motorway, a critical transportation route connecting the capital, Athens, with the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula, including the cities of Corinth and Patras.

The need

The purpose of this project was to connect eight Motorist Service Stations (MSS) to the Ethernet backbone of Olympia Odos via WiFi. The links were required to provide a minimum bandwidth of 100 Mbps, enhance security, and integrate seamlessly with the existing network.

Where

In Olympia Odos, six Motorist Service Stations (MSS) span the length of the motorways, providing 24-hour catering and refueling services, along with additional commercial offerings and other amenities.

Key Technical Features

Network Security
‍
One of the major concerns for this project was the security level achievable with WiFi communications. To address these concerns, Extrabit implemented a series of best practices when configuring the networks:
‍
1. The WiFi links use WPA2-PSK encryption, allowing only one station to connect to each respective Access Point Antenna.

2. In addition to WPA2-PSK encryption, IPsec VPN tunnels were established with strong keys to encrypt all traffic from source to destination.

3. All routers are firewalled, restricting access to authorized services only.

4. All equipment is housed in locked cabinets, and the antennas are mounted on masts and poles to prevent access by unauthorized personnel.

From simulation to reality

The complete project consists of multiple MikroTik routers and Ubiquiti WiFi antennas that interface with the Olympia Odos backbone. All equipment needs to communicate seamlessly with each other and the end users, concealing the underlying complexity. To design and implement this intricate network, Extrabit’s engineers utilized specialized network simulation software, specifically GNS3. The router configurations and interconnecting links were simulated and verified prior to installation. This approach ensured a quick and smooth installation and commissioning process by our field engineers, with no last-minute surprises.

airOS is the revolutionary operating system for Ubiquiti® airMAX® acproducts, offering the following powerful wireless features