Hawaii Wi-Fi

wyldchild37 writes "Through all the hype about 802.11b, I haven't seen too many real applications being talked about. Now that's starting to change. Here's a story on a guy who has set up a wireless network covering a good chunk of the Big Island of Hawaii. His network includes base stations wherever he can place them, along with an assortment of amplifiers, antennas, and other gear."

I would wonder...

[Jinky]

...what type of security he'd have implemented on something such as this network. Would anyone with a wireless NIC be able to access it? If it connects to his own network at home, are those boxes secure there?

laser links

[ndevice]

The article doesn't mention laser/optical links, but it seems to me that that would be an alternative to the DSL and T1 lines they have connecting base sites already. With the optical link method, potentially, you can connect up lots more base sites without laying down more wiring.

Of course, everything might get out of alignment when they have an earthquake...

Huh?

[EricKrout.com]

wyldchild37 writes "Through all the hype about 802.11b, I haven't seen too many real applications being talked about."

Huh? Yeah, no one's talking about using wireless because EVERYONE'S ALREADY USING IT. Christ, there's an article from 2000 [wired.com] that talks about how popular wireless on college campuses was getting two years ago. These days, it's almost the norm. There've been numerous articles posted to Slashdot about particular colleges using wireless and loving it.

Aside from 802.11b on college campuses, there are plenty of other applications. I hope I don't sound like I'm scolding you or something, it's just that you seem to be a bit out of the loop, which is fine :-)

MONOLINUX :: The Safe-Haven For Linux Power Users [monolinux.com]

.... and all free!

[icejai]

Wiecking has built his network through a coalition of educators, researchers, and nonprofit organizations; with the right equipment and passwords, anyone who wants to tap in can do so, at no charge.

Wow, what this guy is doing is pretty amazing. Everyone can benefit from a little generosity and ambition, if everyone gives a little.

Conventional 802.11 networks have a range of no more than 300 feet, but by using a hodgepodge of cheap amplifiers, antennas, and other gear, Wiecking has been able to stoke up the range of some of his base stations to more than 26 miles.

26 miles?? This is pretty impressive. Have any ISP's in any city considered doing this as an option of giving broadband internet access?

Also, I bet if 802.11 were implemented into cell phones, or RIM blackberry devices, wireless plan rates would drop like a stone.
Here in Toronto, for $25/month (cdn dollars) and a RIM blackberry, you're only allowed to send or receive 75Kbytes a month. I bet this crazy monthly rate would drop like crazy if Bell Canada did something in Toronto like what this guy is doing in Hawaii (heck... we can even use the CN Tower to transmit!).

Of course there is a problem of sniffing the packets right out of the air, but that can be solved if pgp were used.

Good stuff... good stuff...
I like what this guy is doing... and support his vision.

Re:How To Do It Yourself

[TheLOTR]

Maybe a good discussion would be: "what can you do for society, knowing what you know"

After all, even though it seems many of us have the knowledge to implement and/or push such simple standards to help change the world for the better, very few of us seem willing to spend their time in such noble persuits.

Have geeks become so godlike with technology that we forget help the less techno-literate around us?

...and if so, Is that a bad thing, or simply the way things go?

Frankly, I say that what this guy has done is great IMHO, and I wish that I could get myself off my lazy ass to be as useful as he is, with what minute knowledge I do have

Re:.... and all free!

[rumwrks]

Its easy to be generous when you are getting free bandwidth from a university and state funds. I can't prove that this is the case from an external point of view, but I know that this is the case.