Wireless community networks or wireless community projects are the largely hobbyist-led development of interlinked computer networks using wireless LAN technologies, taking advantage of the recent development of cheap, standardised 802.11b (Wi-Fi) devices to build growing clusters (group of the same or similar elements gathered) of linked, citywide networks, or in rural areas where conventional DSL services are unavailable. Some are being used to link to the wider Internet, particularly where individuals can obtain unmetered internet connections such as ADSL and/or cable modem at fixed costs and share them with friends. Where such access is unavailable or expensive, they can act as a low-cost partial alternative, as the only cost is the fixed cost of the equipment. Computer networks redirects here. ... The notebook is connected to the wireless access point using a PCMCIA wireless card. ... IEEE 802. ... Official Wi-Fi logo Wi-Fi is a brand originally licensed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to describe the embedded technology of wireless local area networks (WLAN) based on the IEEE 802. ... Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is a form of DSL, a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over copper telephone lines than a conventional modem can provide. ... A cable modem is a type of modem that provides access to a data signal sent over the cable television infrastructure. ...

Such projects started to evolve in 1998 with the availability of 802.11 equipment, and are gradually spreading to cities and towns around the world. In mid-2002 most such networks have been still embryonic, with small groups of people experimenting and gradually interconnecting with each other and thus expanding the domain and utility of the networks. As of mid-2005, wireless community networks have become increasingly popular and exist throughout many cities. Such networks have a distributed rather than a tree-like topography and have the potential to replace the congested and vulnerable backbones of the wired internet in most places. 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean [1]. // Coated in ice, power and telephone lines sag and often break, resulting in power outages. ... The Internet backbone refers to the main trunk connections of the Internet. ...

These projects are in many senses an evolution of amateur radio, and more specifically packet radio, as well as an outgrowth of the free software community (which in itself substantially overlaps with amateur radio), and share their freewheeling, experimental, adaptable culture. The key to using standard wireless networking devices designed for short-range use for multi-kilometre linkups is the use of high-gain antennas. Commercially-available examples are relatively expensive and not that readily available, so much experimentation has gone into homebuilt antenna construction. One striking design is the cantenna, which performs better than many commercial antenna designs and is constructed from a steel food can. Ham radio station with modern solid-state transceiver featuring LCD display and DSP capabilities Ham radio station with vintage vacuum tube gear featuring separate transmitter, receiver and power supply Amateur radio, often called Ham radio, is a hobby and public service enjoyed by about 6 million people throughout the world. ... Packet radio is a form of digital data transmission used in amateur radio to construct wireless computer networks. ... This article is about free software as defined by the sociopolitical free software movement; for information on software distributed without charge, see freeware. ... A yagi antenna Most simply, an antenna is an electronic component designed to send or receive radio waves. ... A cantenna is a directional waveguide antenna for long-range Wi-Fi (compare hi-fi) used to increase the range of (or snoop on) a wireless network. ...

Most wireless community network projects are coordinated by citywide user groups who freely share information and help using the Internet. They often spring up as a grassroots movement offering free, anonymous Internet access to anyone with WiFi capability. Grassroots democracy is the political processes which are driven by groups of ordinary citizens, as opposed to larger organisations or wealthy individuals with concentrated vested interests in particular policies. ...

The community networks are different from wireless hotspots, which are usually put up for commercial purposes, often offering paid-for internet. It is also different from independent privately owned open wireless access points offering anyone within range free internet access. Hotspots are venues that offer Wi-Fi access. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Many of these community networks are run on a voluntary basis and can be compared to other voluntary groups focussed around local issues. Like other voluntary groups they have sometimes found their greatest challenges are not technical (e.g. developing affordable internet access in a local area) but social; encouraging and sustaining volunteer input, a critical mass of users, and devising a sustainable organisational model. Some groups have splintered as individual participants follow their own goals or found it difficult to maintain a user base when large corporate internet service suppliers have reduced the price of broadband connectivity and increased availability.

An alternative to the voluntary model is to use a co-operative structure. This is the model which has been encouraged by Community Broadband Network in the UK. A successful example is the Alston Cybermoor in Alston, UK. A cooperative (also co-operative or co-op) is an association of persons who join together to carry on an economic activity of mutual benefit, in an egalitarian fashion. ... There are a couple place in the world with the name Alston: Alston, Cumbria Alstonvale, Quebec, Canada Alston, Georgia This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

It may be that community networks represent an alternative model to corporate broadband provision in niche markets, or that they represent the early adaptor phase of a new technology moving into the marketplace.

The biggest community network is CZFree.NET], which connects together more than 20,000 computers in Prague and other cities.

There are three distinct generations of wireless mesh networks being employed in community mesh networks today. In the first generation one radio provides both backhaul (packet relaying) and client services (access to a laptop). In the second generation, one radio relayed packets over multiple hops while another provided client access. This significantly improved backhaul bandwidth and latency. Third generation wireless mesh products use two or more radios for the backhaul for higher bandwidth and low latency. Third generation mesh products are replacing previous generation products as more demanding applications like voice and video need to be relayed wirelessly over many hops of the mesh network. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Lag is a common term used to describe a symptom often encountered in computing and especially networked systems, where results of actions appear much later than expected. ...

See also

• Computer network
• Metropolitan area network
• RONJA
• Generations of mesh networks
• List of wireless community networks by region
• Netsukuku
• Wireless mesh network

Computer networks redirects here. ... Metropolitan area networks, or MANs, are large computer networks usually spanning a city. ... Ronja device installed on a balcony. ... Three generations of wireless mesh topologies Wireless Mesh networks allow users to access network ressources by routing data via nearby peers. ... // Some wireless community network projects are: Dharamsala Community Wireless Mesh Network, Dharamsala, H.P. — www. ... Netsukuku is a mesh network, sort of like P2P, that generates and sustains itself autonomously. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ...

External links

• Analysis of Mesh Architectures Why all mesh products are not created equal.
• What is Third Generation Mesh? Review of three generation of mesh networking architectures.
• Ugly Truths About Mesh Networks Performance issues of First and Second Generation Mesh products.
• CUWiN One of the leading Wireless Community Network R&D outfits.
• Free Networks Global Free Networks Site
• Seattle Wireless Early CWN with focus on hardware hacking
• ninux.org Wireless Community Network Roma Italian Wireless Community in Rome
• NetEquality Non-profit provider of mesh networks for low-income neighborhoods
• France Wireless Federation Gathering of France Wireless communities for free an open internet and mesh access for everyone.
• WiND - Wireless Nodes Database an open-source project targeted at wireless community networks. WiND can display node information, map nodes and wireless links, manage ip addresses and dns zones, and much more.
• Wireless Nomad ISP Co-op is a user-owned and operated ISP running DSL and deploying WiFi mesh networks and WiFi LAN networks for community access in Toronto, Canada.
• Community Broadband Network (broadband-uk.coop)
• Free Global Wireless Community Newswire
• Link Collection of Wireless Communities World wide
• Video about Free Culture, Free Software, Free Infrastructures!, Interviews with Klohjschi, Jürgen Neumann (Freifunk Germany), Kurt Jansson (Wikimedia Germany), Rishab Aiyer Ghosh (United Nations University), Lawrence Lessig (Creative Commons), Allison, Benoit (Montréal Wireless Community)