Tom, Peter, all- An interesting idea. I had thought on focusing the group on point-to- point wifi between high buildings and geek's homes. That way we are not in the USI Wireless business, etc. I invisiioned: - Creating a network (just the IP based network, no internet) for use by the people who create it (geeks, this list) - Having the endpoints owed by the owner of the property. My house = my point-to-point and hotspot. - Having a regular meeting to help the users of this stuff build, maintain, upgrade and make apps and routes on the network known. This accomplishes some basic principals: - I get to do outdoor work on roofs of buildings (w00t!) - Focus on the utility of the network, and the applications will be built by the users. - The user's owning the endpoints means that you can decide what to do with your "node" on the network; give away access, sell access, restrict access, extend it to the neighborhood, whatever the hell. So, for example, to get things started (from the maps.tcwug.org site that appears to not be coming back.) U of M Moos Tower <---------> S. Mpls Geeks Home <------> Some local school Moos tower equipment is owned by me, the S. Mpls Geeks home is owned by the geek, and the local school is owned by the school. = Maximum flexability, = minimal drama = meetings about new users, applications and routes on this point-to-point network. -matt -- ----- Matthew Genelin Fast Computer Service Co. 612-605-5382 2010 E. Hennepin Ave, Suite 8-122, Box 1 Minneapolis, MN 55413-2760 fastcomputerserviceco.com On Jul 6, 2009, at 8:34 AM, Tom Poe wrote: > Peter Fleck wrote: >> - - - snip - - - >> So one idea would be to (un)wire the Cedar Riverside high rises and >> construct a WAN for residents, focusing on the Somali population. No >> Internet. This would likely require funding and nonprofit >> involvement. >> I don't see that as a big problem, you just get yourself a fiscal >> agent. The local Freegeek/TC Open Circuit group is in the process of >> becoming a 501C3 and might be interested. >> >> Good to see this list active again. >> >> Peter >> >> >> > Interesting idea, if I understand what you're saying. > Unfortunately, I > am a disadvantaged computer user. Been struggling for days with > trying > to understand how to properly set up a home network and assign IP's to > two computer boxes. > > Assumptions: > A WAN would establish an effective local broadband infrastructure for > the high rises. > > There would initially be no Internet access. > > Vision: > This infrastructure could support communications between residents of > the network, computer to computer. If one of the computers was set up > as a server on an intranet, it might provide a virtual world > application > like Sun's Wonderland virtual world (open source). Residents would > then > be able to have a virtual venue that includes individual as well as > group activities. > > At this level, I suspect the local broadband infrastructure becomes > attractive to ISP providers, telco/cableco incumbents, hospitals, > grocery stores, newspapers, city services, etc., who might want to > gain > access to the network in exchange for reasonable wholesale Internet > access pricing for the residents. > > The social and educational enhancement from having a WAN, or local > broadband infrastructure seems obvious to me. > > Peter, is any of the above in line with what your committee is set > up to > explore? Have you had any contact with the folks at St Paul > College, or > possibly some group at the University? > http://blogs.sun.com/wonderland/entry/st_paul_college_open_virtual > Tom > > _______________________________________________ > Twin Cities Wireless Users Group Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. > Paul, Minnesota > tcwug-list at tcwug.org > http://mailman.tcwug.org/mailman/listinfo/tcwug-list