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Wireless mesh routers and DIY ISPs
pdos.csail.mit.edu — Roofnet is an experimental 802.11b/g mesh network in development at MIT CSAIL which provides broadband Internet access to users in Cambridge. There are currently around 20 active nodes on the network, which you can see using our real-time connectivity map.
bonlebon- 653 diggs
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- SqueakyWheel, on 10/12/2007, -11/+1kevin rose editor in chief featured story!
- arsh, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2gr8 yaar
- D3koy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7 i loved the explanation of how to install it...take the little metal rectangular piece and thread it through.... those MIT guys sure are good at instructions
- thetron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree. No diagrams or pictures either
Maybe even one of the guys posing for photos. While installing it
- thetron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree. No diagrams or pictures either
- NJank, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4all internet traffic still funneled through the university network, although Roofnet seems set up to allow users to enable use of their DSL/cable for mesh access.
- thebman990, on 10/12/2007, -8/+8Well great! the internets are going to be all clogged up since the whole town will be using one tube!
- vertinox, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3The internet is not a single truck. Its a series of tubes!
- tamoneya, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3In your kit box you should find:
These installation instructions - judderman, on 10/12/2007, -12/+2every tom dick and harry knows how to set up a wireless ISP, what a bunch of plant-pots!!!
- josegutz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3This would work Stupendously at my apartment building since everyone here is running unsecured wireless routers. They might as well come togther and form a mesh network in the perimeter.
- CpnCapacitor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1don't mean to flame, but really.. omfg this article is freaking old.. years old.
20 nodes then, 20 nodes now, nothing has changed.
And maybe, just maybe they could get it to work properly if they used a proper routing protocol, something that really works. And something that's been around for years.
literally ages... it's called L2R, it's been around for almost 10 years.
maybe MIT will get a clue.- ryaninc, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, it is old...the map says "last updated September 2005" :-/
- mattwest, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2L2R. Yes, been around for years. That's great.
Documented installs? Progression? Code?
Turn the fire down heat miser. - Twango, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1There are whole countries in Europe using mesh. Already. Sad that we're so far behind.
- CpnCapacitor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0mattwest- yes documented installs, evolution over various versions over the years.
in fact, L2R can now be used in traffic systems (as in cars and trucks, etc).
it's a patented proprietary protocol yes, but still.
yes it's not open source, but the authors aren't ready to do that yet.
Too many people getting rich off of ideas stolen from the earliest basis for L2R.
Why should the authors starve while someone else makes money off their ideas?
open source is great and all, and I support it, but we all have to eat.
L2R has been installed and running between downtown Buffalo NY and various places in Niagara Falls Canada (19.2 miles) wireless for over 5 years now.
DMF used it as well as Swift-Trade for their live stock (as in exchange) information sharing with agents.
There was a court-house that was using it for a while as well during renovations, lawyers and judges were in pods and wireless notebooks, it was pretty cool.
There are too many applications to list them all. - Mrkamikaze, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12005 that sucks! i was excited their for about 1 minute. Mesh networks are awesome.
- popey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1LocustWorld have been pioneering this for a few years now and have quite a few units installed all over the world. http://locustworld.com
It's all Linux based so you can download the software and create your own mesh box.
They've also demoed funky stuff like meshboxes in pubs giving wireless out, and accepting photos taken on phones and sent (free) via bluetooth to be displayed on a big screen. Of course everyone just takes pictures of their pint, but hey, it's progress :) - printaboy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0check the company called webnet
- elkos, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think the AWMN has much more 802.11a/b nodes than many networks wireless check it out http://wind.awmn.net and it's just a community effort.
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