|
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 of linked, citywide networks. Some are being used to link to the wider Internet, particularly where individuals can obtain unmetered ADSL and/or cable modem internet connections 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.
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. As of mid-2002, most such networks remain embryonic, with small groups of people experimenting and gradually interconnecting with each other and thus expanding the domain and utility of the networks.
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.
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.
Community networks by region
Some wireless community network projects are:
North America
United States - Atlanta FreeNet, Atlanta, GA - http://www.atlantafreenet.org
- Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network, Champaign-Urbana, Illinois - http://www.cuwireless.net/
- BARWN, Bay Area, California, http://www.barwn.org/
- BAWUG, San Francisco - http://www.bawug.org/
- City Heights Wireless Network, San Diego, CA, USA - http://www.sdfutures.org/services/specialprojects.htm
- DetroitCONNECTED, Detroit, Michigan, USA - http://www.detroitconnected.org/
- Detroit Wireless Project, Metropolitian Detroit, Michigan, USA - http://www.dwp.org/
- Dowza Directory & Community, Global Listings - http://www.dowza.com/
- GuerillaNet - http://205.159.169.11/
- Newbury Open, Boston, Massachusetts, http://www.newburyopen.net/
- NoCatNet, Sonoma County, California, http://nocat.net/
- NYCWireless, New York, New York, http://nycwireless.net/
- PDX Wireless, Portland, Oregon - http://www.pdxwireless.org/
- Personal Telco, Portland, Oregon - http://www.personaltelco.net/ (wiki)
- PGHWireless, Pittsburgh, PA - http://www.PGHWireless.net
- Seattle Wireless - http://www.seattlewireless.net/ (wiki)
- SFLAN, San Francisco - http://www.sflan.org/
- SoCalFreeNet, San Diego, CA - http://www.socalfreenet.org
- Toronto Wireless Community Network - http://www.esoterraka.com/twcn/
- Wireless Community Networks, Chicago, IL - http://wcn.cnt.org/
- Wireless Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA - http://www.phila.gov/wireless/
See also: - List of free wireless networks in San Francisco area (http://sfwireless.net/)
Canada
Europe
Austria
Czech Republic
Croatia
France - Wifi Montauban, France - http://www.wifi-montauban.net/
Germany - Freifunk.net, Berlin a.o., Germany - http://www.freifunk.net/
- mobileaccess, HotSpots and wireless communities in Germany - http://mobileaccess.de/wlan/
Greece - Athens Wireless Metropolitan Network, Athens - http://www.awmn.net/
- Ioannina Wireless Network, Ioannina - http://www.ioanninawireless.net/
- Patras Wireless Network, Patras - http://www.patraswireless.net/
Hungary - Hungarian Wireless Community, Budapest - http://www.huwico.hu/
Netherlands - Wireless Leiden Foundation, Leiden, Netherlands - http://www.wirelessleiden.nl/english/ and http://wiki.wirelessleiden.nl/ (wiki) - cooperates with Demon Internet, which provides free internet access for Wireless Leiden, in order to gain experience in this area. It is for use in homes and other buildings with an external antenna, and for use with a laptop outside, in the parts of Leiden that are covered.
Spain - MadridWireless, Madrid, Spain - http://madridwireless.net/
- RedLibre, Spain - http://www.redlibre.net/
Sweden - Elektrosmog, Stockholm - http://elektrosmog.nu/
United Kingdom - Bristol Wireless,Bristol, UK - http://www.bristolwireless.net/
- Consume the Net, London - http://consume.net/
- TottonWireless.net, Totton, UK - http://tottonwireless.net/
- Manchester Wireless, Manchester - http://www.manchesterwireless.net/
- WLAN ORG UK, Bath, United Kingdom: original promoting site - http://www.wlan.org.uk/
Other See also: - EuropeOpen - List of some free wireless networks in Europe (http://www.europeopen.net/)
Australia & Oceania
South Australia - Air-Stream, Adelaide - http://www.air-stream.org
Victoria, Australia
New South Wales, Australia - Bathurst Wireless, http://www.bathurstwireless.org
- Sydney Wireless, Sydney - http://www.sydneywireless.com
Queensland, Australia - Darling Downs Wireless, Toowoomba - http://ddwireless.net
- Brishmesh - Brisbane - http://www.brismesh.org
- Cairns Wireless - http://cairns.wireless.org.au
Canberra Territory, Australia - Air.Net Canberra - http://www.air.net.au
Western Australia - Darwin Wireless - http://www.darwinwireless.com
- WAFreeNet, Western Australia - http://www.wafreenet.org
- E3, Perth - http://www.e3.com.au/
Tasmania, Australia
New Zealand - NZWireless, New Zealand - http://www.nzwireless.org
- New Zealand Wireless - http://nz.wireless.org.au
Africa - Community Owned Information Network, South Africa - http://csircoin.blogspot.com
External links - FreeNetworks.org (http://freenetworks.org/), a project attempting to bring together diverse community projects from all over the world
- Matt Westervelt's FreeNetworks Blog (http://seattlewireless.net/~mattw/)
- nodeDB FAQ (http://www.nodedb.com/wiki/index.php?FAQ)
- Personal Telco's list of Wireless Communities at [1] (http://www.personaltelco.net/index.cgi/WirelessCommunities)
- Building a Wireless Community Network (http://dingo.uwaterloo.ca/~ihoward/papers/WirelessCommunities.html)
- The Cloud Report 50+ City Clouds (http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3032)
- Sam Churchill's DailyWireless Blog (http://www.dailywireless.org)
- Sam Churchill's Wireless LAN Revolution (http://www.teleport.com/~samc/psuwireless/)
- The National Summit for Community Wireless Networks (http://www.communitywirelesssummit.org)
- Airshare.org - Community Wireless Resource for Newbies and Experts (http://www.airshare.org)
- Wireless Warrior (http://www.wireless-warrior.org/) - WiFi information resource for WLAN admins and advanced wardrivers
- WiFiMaps.com (http://www.WiFiMaps.com) - Interactive maps of Wi-Fi installations and coverage
See also |
Feeds |
Contact