Often threats encompass multiple, geographically separated regions. To alert people in different regions may require communicating to remote locations. To address this, Cooper Notification enhanced its Mass Notification System (MNS), WAVES (Wireless Audio Visual Emergency System) with Ethernet-enabled Network Access Bridge (NAB).

The NAB acts as a bridge between the WAVES Integrated Base Station (IBS) and a satellite WAVES system. NAB enables a single Cooper Notification MNS installation to encompass areas that are beyond the range of a single RF network by creating a dependent RF network at the remote location that is controlled by the main IBS.

The NAB computer receives commands and digital streaming audio over an Ethernet connection from the WAVES IBS and forwards those to the satellite system through the appropriate communications controller and transceiver. It also receives status and other reports from the satellite system’s nodes and sends those back to the IBS. Since a NAB is Ethernet-based, it can extend the range of WAVES communications to nodes distributed over a wide area with unlimited distance. Each IBS can support enough NABs to cover virtually any need.