WiFi from the lab

From Hacklab

Stats

Speed: ADSL connection which runs at 512Kbps. Availability: 24/7 ? Distance covered: depends on the antenna & built environment. Wireless ethernet (802.11b) is intended to cover a small single building. You can go much further in the open air though.


Equipment

An internet router Any PC that can boot from CD, plus TWO network cards Any Wirless access point device


Documentation for the ABC easyazz 123 solution & implementation of WiFi for groups !!

Possible front page intro? http://www.hotspot-solutions.co.uk/

Possible interested users

Whitechaple Gallery,


Disscussion


  • Ian Wrote; I am just shaking down a ZoneCD Hotspot

solution that will do the trick! available here: http://www.publicip.net/


  • Reuben Wrote; Great! mayby you could help us set something up either

remotly or in person on saterdays at the lap. At the moment things are being put on hold to spend more time on the ESF, but any help/advice at all you can offer would be great. I was also wondering how to actualy ( in a formal stance ) approch buisnesses in writing as an introduction and then in person as an impementation. IE: i assume we should be ( or appear to be ) quite proffesional, thereby projecting a sence of reliability and mayby convincing them that the service is an economic gain/ valuable service that they just cannot live without!!!!!!!!!.......

Having not ( even remotly ) done anything like this before i am unsure where to start. So some kind of front end, ie;

1: Letter of introduction outlineing the basic service,

2: Forms with charts n stuff to send out if they show interest or even if they dont ( as a kinda chase them up thing )

3: Another form / letter and even speach presentation thing to take round to them to explain how "WE" will implement this service, and finally an invoice.

Is this the way it would go?

What else could be added and where in the order would it go?

Are there any any previous egsamples of this type of service being implimented?

And probably most importantly is there a ABC way of setting this up possibly using the information and correspondance of a succesfull set up as a TEMPLATE? maybe someone out there has a small folder with letters of A: introduction, B: complete set up and C: implentation procedure. If so a complete copy of such a folder would save us masses of work/time and would be extremly valuable in this situation as we are a very small/ thin on the ground group of part time volunters with no income ? but we apreciate the value of this kind of set up for the hacklab ( to cover our running cost ) and for the wider community ( free available internet access ) and so are keen on getting it sorted, but realise that we need help in doing so.

Any help that anyone can offer re this subject is most welcome, thanking you in advance. ( and of course the hacklab and the community as a whole ) reuben & john ps john ( north london ) it may be worth copy, pasting n mailing this to rob@queenspark.me.uk from QPWC or maybe just to keep in mind for when he mailes you back. Just; he may come up with some tech issues that your probably better qualified to answer.


  • Reuben Wrote; " Welcome Freedom Networks is here, providing services to businesses in the area ...............

> All this at upto 11 mbps which compared to dial-up or even ADSL is lightning fast and at ? less than a tin o......... be part of it , join now for unrestricted access to the global network!!!!!! "


  • ASA Wrote: The wording of this give the incorrect impression that they will be paying for an 11Mb connection to the internet. Thou the connection

from the lab to the cafe would be 11Mb, the internet connection will still be limited to the weakest link: i.e. the ADSL connection to the internet which runs at 512Kbps.

Also, I'm not sure about "unrestricted". We may have to throttle their connection if someone in the cafe starts downloading movies or somthing! asa@winstanleys.org>


  • Ian Wrote:I have been working with PubliIP's ZoneCD. This seems to be just about everything you need and quite a bit you want on a bootable CD. It has a very smooth web-based interface.

I am awaiting an 8db omni antenna, which should be here any day. I hope to be able to bring the whole thing up and plug it in for the ESF. but down with food poisioning at the mo.

  • Rob Wrote:I mailed John recently regarding Wi-Fi. I am happy to help - provide input, share technology learnings, template materials etc etc. (mainly

because what exists out there at the moment is fragmented and will require a great amount of time to piece together).

OK. It's not a simple as setting up a WiFi AP and 'selling' services. You need to be careful that the DTi and OfCOM don't think you are a telecommunications reseller; a Public Telecommunications Operator (reseller) requires a license, costing £40K p.a.

Suggest that you set up a 'purchasing cooperative' / club where members contribute to the overall running costs of the service. ;-) that nicely sidesteps the legislation.

Additionally, you will need to get written permission from your ISP (UKFSN?) to share the connection - this involves agreeing that all members of the club will abide by the AUP / T&C of the service you are sharing.

While you can (and no doubt will) hack together some hardware and get this running with a few IP chains with a Linux distribution - I can throughly recommend the Locust World MeshAP solution. www.locustworld.com

For examples of wireless clubs, check out www.feeed.net (Hastings, Berkshire and surroundings).

If you need to order external antenna, cable, connectors, CPE (for members), etc, then get in touch, and I will help you get these cheaper with trade discount accounts I have setup for comwifinet limited the Not-for-Profit organisation that supports QPWC and other wireless clubs).

Best regards,

  • Martin Wrote: RE: locost world MeshAP; We're very lucky in that Mute donated/lent us a complete MeshAP box with external antenna - it should all still be set up in more or less working order on the roof/top floor.

If we plug the MeshBox into our DHCP network it will put itself online on reboot, then we should be able to configure it through the WIANA site.

  • Simon Worthington simon at metamute.com WROTE:

Hi Martin,

Are you refering to hacklab in Whitechapel, if so I need to put the box back as it went somewhere else, the aerial and everything is there.

if your refering to Rampart then theres is working fine connect to the mute office, although theres could be plugged into there own wired network

simon

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