steve ulrich wrote: > [...] > i joined this mailing list a couple of weeks ago and i just recently > finished catching up on the mailing list archives. from some of the > discussions that took place a couple of months ago there was some interest > in creating a real community wireless network but nothing (or so it would > seem from the archives) was really done about it. Ack. > [...] > is there a populace amongst the list that would be interested in meeting > and coordinating the deployment (albeit i'm sure quite limited at this > time?) of such a network? i'm in the process of setting up a public > access point in my neighborhood (NE minneapolis) once my omnis show up. Count me in. > i've been hacking on the NoCatAuth stuff (http://www.nocat.net) to talk to > real routers (cisco) for the traffic shaping and such. since this seems > to be the most promising mode of community authentication i would be quite > willing to host an authetication server for local authentication and > integration with other WCNs. I've been doing a bunch of work recently with the hostap driver (http://people.ssh.com/jkm/Prism2/) which now supports PCI/Mini-PCI cards, so a single linux AP/portal (a la Sputnik(http://www.sputnik.com)) is a very practial and reliable option. Heck, just grabbing sputnik releases, hacking the server details and putting up our own auth server might be another potential option. I do believe the very first thing we need to come to terms with as a group is exactly what kind of network/service do we want to build. The stated goals of existing WCNs seem to span the gamut from simply sharing technical knowledge, to coordinating/branding hot-spots, to supplying a complete local network infrastucture. I'll go on record as remaining dubious about our ability to provide any kind of meaningful alternative infrastucture in the metro area, given the flat terrain and low population density. However, providing/promoting public access points, with reliable/predicatable configuration and services, while utilising wired backhauls (like Sputnik) sounds both practical and fascinating to me. I think a face-to-face meeting of TCWUG would be a great idea, long overdue. I'll offer to do some show and tell at a meeting, with a re-cased, tower mount WAP-11 with POE, as long as the meeting happens before I bolt it to my chimney :-) If anyone can supply a PCMCIA-capable Mac (or an Intermec AP), we could do an alchemy BOF too, where Lucent Silver cards were upgraded to Gold. -- andyw at pobox.com Andy Warner Voice: (612) 801-8549 Fax: (208) 575-5634