Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:10:45 +0900 http://www.e3.com.au/ e3 :: blogging the wireless freenet en-au http://www.e3.com.au/images/e3chrome_small.gif http://www.e3.com.au/ jason.jordan@pcguru.com.au http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=836 Meraki, a spin-off company formed in 2006 to develop and commercialise the MIT Roofnet technology (an implementation of commodity hardware and open source software, built on Linux, which provides wifi coverage for MIT's campus), and provided cheap technology ($50/unit). A member of the Vancouver Community Network writes that they initially looked at Meraki technology, but the pricing model put them off - $5/node/month for access to the "dashboard" - the real-time monitoring software that they were developing for managing the networks. However, the pricing model was later changed to allow you to run a free network, or a subscription model. As a result, many people started building networks based on Meraki technology. In February Meraki announced a change to their EULA (End User Licence Agreement) which precluded anyone from changing any of the software that they install on their units. This meant that from that point forward, people would be breaking their rules, and maybe the law, by installing their own work on their hardware. Of course this could not be applied retroactively so people were free to continue to work with the hardware that they had already bought. Last week, a user tried installing his own firmware on one of the nodes that he manage and failed 5 times in a row before he gave up. He then learnt that the failure is due to the fact that Meraki has automatically updated the software on all of the units (including legacy, such as ours) so that you cannot install a different firmware on it, at all. So... in the course of six months Meraki has gone from "happy hacking - buy our equipment and use it to help poor people access the net" to "pay three times as much for our hardware and we'll install whatever we want on it, whenever we want, and you can't look under the hood to see what it's doing or install your own software on it." Full article available here. Fri, 28 Mar 2008 08:10:45 +0900 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=835 After one ISP reportedly claimed WiMax was a "disaster" that didn't perform, its network equipment supplier Airspan has hit back, defending the technology and labelling the ISP cheap. Speaking at a WiMax conference in Bangkok last week Garth Freeman, CEO of Buzz Broadband, disparaged the technology, according to a report in Communications Day. Freeman said that WiMax's range was limited to two kilometres and it was unable to support VoIP, the report said. Full article is here. Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:53:49 +0900 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=834 Many US cities, intending to blanket the cities with wifi, are now having second thoughts, after one of the major ISPs, EarthLink, pulled out, saying "the operations of the municipal Wi-Fi assets were no longer consistent with the company’s strategic direction." Full article available here, and slashdot.org discussion here. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:42:10 +0900 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=833 Australia’s first WiMAX operator, Hervey Bay’s Buzz Broadband, has closed its network, with the CEO labeling the technology as a “disaster” that “failed miserably.” In an astonishing tirade to an international WiMAX conference audience in Bangkok yesterday afternoon, CEO Garth Freeman slammed the technology, saying its non-line of sight performance was “non-existent” beyond just 2 kilometres from the base station, indoor performance decayed at just 400m and that latency rates reached as high as 1000 milliseconds. Poor latency and jitter made it unacceptable for many Internet applications and specifically VoIP, which Buzz has employed as the main selling point to induce people to shed their use of incumbent services. Full article here, and slashdot.org discussion here. Mon, 24 Mar 2008 21:37:41 +0900 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=832 Dan from DansData.com rants on about "impossible" antennas. See here for the full rant. Sat, 05 Jan 2008 19:07:23 +0900 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=831 Rob Clark, Terry Porter and Robyn Edwards (VK6XRE) collaborated to write an article for Silicon Chip magazine. Mention WiFi and most people – at least those who know what WiFi is – think of a wireless link between a couple of rooms in the home or maybe a couple of offices in a building. That’s mainly because that’s all they are used to and all that they expect. But WiFi can go much further than this: the current world record for a "naked" (ie unamplified) 802.11g (WiFi) terrestrial link is (we believe still!) 280km (see SILICON CHIP, February 2007). Full article available here (Silicon Chip subscription required to read the full article) Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:54:38 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=830 It's hard to dislike the idea of free municipal wireless Internet access. Imagine your town as an oversized Internet cafe, with invisible packets floating everywhere as free as the air we breathe. That fanciful vision inspired many cities to announce the creation of free wireless networks in recent years. This summer, reality hit—one city after another has either canceled deployments or offered a product that's hardly up to the hype. In Houston, Chicago, St. Louis, and even San Francisco, once-promising projects are in trouble. What happened—was the idea all wrong? Full article available here. Fri, 28 Sep 2007 21:53:41 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=829 Hi Folks I have recently completed the construction of our new home at the Bullcreek FreeNet site. There is one problem. There isn't a mast on it!. I'm on the scrounge for a telescopic mast around 6 to 9 meters in reasonable condition and price. If you or anyone you know has one please let me know so I can move my gear back from temp site its up atm. cheers Greg gmacham at bigpond.com Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:24:01 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=828 Hi All. Its been a very long time since the Wafreenet has had a gathering so here goes :) When? Sunday 4th march 11:00 Where? Kings Park (Left side of War Memorial) What to bring? Laptop, Beer, Food, Antennas etc Everyone is welcome to come, But please register interest here. http://users.blue-nova.net/kp.htm Sun, 18 Feb 2007 13:32:41 +0900 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=827 Using a pair of WRT54G routers, a 2.4m dish at one end, and a 2.7m dish at the other end, a group of Venezuelas managed a 280km 802.11 link. More details available in this Silicon Chip article (paid membership required for the full article). Tue, 13 Feb 2007 23:22:50 +0900 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=826 The CSIRO has won a landmark US legal battle against Buffalo Technology, under which it could receive royalties from every producer of wireless local area network (WLAN) products worldwide. Full article is available here Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:03:31 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=825 Do we want a node here? We may be able to get access. I am told it can see - West to Rotto - East to Hills - South to ? - North to ? Airlie St at this Map Wed, 25 Oct 2006 23:06:35 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=824 Folks, North-Freo is an ex-AP. It has expired. It is pushing up daisies. It is bereft of life. Fri, 06 Oct 2006 19:23:39 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=823 All, I want to do a 50 km PtP test. Thu, 31 Aug 2006 16:59:52 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=822 Hi everyone! Long time no post/email/chat/see. After many years of faithful service, the time has come to decommission menora.net. It was a fun hobby while it lasted. Almost all of the equipment is up for grabs, and it would be perfect for someone who's interested in setting up their own access point. D-Day will probably be next weekend (weather permitting). As I type this, the link between menora.net and forrestfield wireless is still going strong; 8ms ave RTT and 0% packet loss, which is very good for a link this long. All equipment is in good working order. Click "Read More" for more info... Sun, 20 Aug 2006 20:37:45 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=820 If you've ever had any neighbours steal your internet access through your wireless AP, rather than securing your wireless, why not have some fun! The Upside-Down-Ternet website provides some interesting ideas, including: -redirecting all web traffic to a specific website -turn all images upside down -blur all images If anyone tries any of these, please post your results here ;-) Fri, 28 Jul 2006 08:06:55 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=819 The June 2006 version of IEEE Computer magazine had an interesting article describing some 1Gbps wireless network products from a company called GigaBeam, designed for the "last mile" between communiations service providers' facilities and their customers. "We need only one-millionth of a watt to connect a [1-Gbps] link", said GigaBeam's Lockie. The transmissions are using the millimeter-wave band, which ranges from 30 to 300GHz, with wavelengths varying from 1 to 10 millimetres. A PDF version of the full article is available here. Thu, 13 Jul 2006 22:06:00 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=818 Northern Suburbs Freenet Explosion Sun, 21 May 2006 10:05:18 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=817 Wireless vendors Trango and Microserv created a 137.2 mile ground-to-ground wireless link using "off-the-shelf" equipment from Trango. Fri, 19 May 2006 20:13:07 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=816 Laptop Stolen from friends house. IBM ThinkPad T43 with serial number L3FF463 Fri, 07 Apr 2006 00:14:56 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=815 Air-Stream Wireless is inviting interstate and rural community wireless groups and individuals to join us on Open Day 4. This is a non-profit community wireless networking event for more information visite or website at www.air-stream.org Thu, 09 Mar 2006 23:08:14 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=814 Attention All Northern Freenetters and others interested in the Freenet North of the River. Next weekend there will be a Small Meetup BBQ for anyone interested in the Northern Freenet. See More on the Linky Mon, 27 Feb 2006 20:56:08 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=813 Its been a while since anyone has been warstorming, so here goes. Whos up for it? in the next Month or so? For info click the linky. Mon, 27 Feb 2006 20:55:41 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=812 The past week has seen the Northern freenet explode with 3 new AP's and dedicated Links arround the area. We now have 5 Access Points linked up and comming soon links to the WaFreeNet. Click the linky for more. Mon, 06 Feb 2006 17:59:54 +0800 http://www.e3.com.au/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=811 I have access to as much roof space as I want in Wanneroo (Wangara) and will be erecting an 8 metre mast this weekend with 1 AP and 2 client links. Click the Linky for more Mon, 23 Jan 2006 23:59:48 +0800