Re: [chat] Sydney Wireless Network

["Marcel Kunath" <kunathma@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> >
> > Yeah the stuff on Mudgee sounds ok but I'd prefer to go the whole route to
> > 802.11b with 11Mbps instead of the 2Mbps. I don't think the Mudgee approach
is
> > any cheaper.
>
> Well, I'm yet to be convinced either way but my initial reading of the site
> said that it'd be about $85 for a 2mb card and about $400 for a 11mbps card.
> Being the poor university student that I am (bring out the violins), I'd
> prefer to be spending the $85 if it's still an experimental set up.
>
> The other thing is that I suspect a 2mb setup would be more stable around
> the city. Do we have any sources for people who have set this up for 11mbps?

I don't think bandwidth is directly related to stability. Yes the page said 85
dollars but that was for an PCIMCA card. I don't have a laoptop which means
you needs the PCI-PCIMCA slot converted which costs another 200 or something
in that range making both almost equally expensive. Well I know how overpriced
stuff is in Oz. It's usually 100% more than US prices. I just moved here from
the US and still have connections there. I am entirely broke and without job
but I would probably order there and have a friend ship to me.

I would probably go for something like this:

http://store.yahoo.com/shopnetlux/dlindwwirlan.html

PCIMCA card plus PCI adapter. It comes at around 210 Oz dollars plus shipping
from overseas. Last time I shipped 8 lbs package from Michigan to Sydney for 40
US dollars with harddrives in it (insured USPS, 7 days).

mk

> >
> > > mk > > > > > > On Sat, 3 Nov 2001, Marcel Kunath wrote: > > > > > Hello,
> > > >
> > > > well I am sure people are aware of the recent Telstra changes. I can liv

e wi
> > th
> > > > 3 Gig but having to watch myself (and the other 5 people on this one cab

le
> > > > modem) is not easy. At times I want to sporadically download a gig may i

t be
> >
> > > > KDE's new release or a distro or something.
> > > >
> > > > I have been reading about these localized wireless networks in metro are

as f
> > or
> > > > the past year and I find the idea very interesting. The most organized
> > > > information and network seems to be seattlewireless:
> > > >
> > > > http://seattlewireless.net/
> > >
> > > Interesting stuff. I attempted to get broadband happening at my house in
> > > newtown at the start of the year and eventually gave up because it was so
> > > difficult.
> > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > There is mentioning of two networks in the Sydney area:
> > > >
> > > > http://hwy.com.au/~bigmoe/wlan/
> > >
> > > this one looks interesting. Their mentioning of 40 km distances is pretty
> > > impressive. Of course in Sydney I doubt it would be anywhere near that
> > > distance because of random obstacles in the way, however the density of
> > > population in sydney probably means there doesn't need to be that distance


> > > between nodes anyway.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > http://www.nepean.air.net.au (dead link)
> > > >
> > > > and a few more in Oz and around the world:
> > > >
> > > > http://www.wirelessanarchy.com/
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I do not know where the Sydney based networks are in terms of developmen

t. I
> >  am
> > > > pretty much uneducated when it comes to wireless overall. I still have a

 kee
> > n
> > > > interest to get access to data outside from the ISP network to be able t

o
> > > > attain data and/or provide data and not pay my ISP for it. The Seattle n

etwo
> > rk
> > > > seems to have it figured out and be sound in their structure without ris

k of
> >
> > > > falling asleep/apart due to lack of human support.
> > > >
> > > > So basically I want to ask what people know about wireless in Sydney and

 if
> > > > people are as frustrated as me and want a separated network from their I

SP t
> > o
> > > >
> > > > - download data
> > > > - upload data
> > > > - play games
> > > > - share data (programs, source code, rpms, ftp servers with distros on t

hem)
> >
> > > > - connect their home network with their business network
> > > > - build a free network independent of Telstra (w/ with fully functional
DNS
> > and
> > > > DHCP ?)
> > > >
> > > > I am aware that there are security issues and you can't protect a wirele

ss
> > > > network from being accessed and it would be open to any person who wants

 to
> > > > access it. I still think its limited internal uses are great and would p

rovi
> > de
> > > > a good service for the Sydney area.
> > >
> > > ah, but you can make it safe. This is what ipSec is for. Indeed using
> > > freeswan I believe you're able to compress the data also, which would be a


> > > big pro in a situation like this.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > There are costs involved but I think it would pay off just as much as le

arni
> > ng
> > > > Linux paid off for me. Fact is though a network needs multiple nodes to
> > > > function and make sense. Hence I am writing this if there are people who

 are
> >
> > > > curious and want to invest time, effort and a little money to have somet

hing
> >  in
> > > > addition to their ISP connection.
> > >
> > > I'm certainly interested. If what they're saying over at the mudgee wirele

ss
> > > network is true then it seems much more worthwhile then phone companies
> > > would want you to believe.
> > >
> > > I guess it comes down to identifying a few people who are relatively nearb

y
> > > (within a km or two) who are interested in playing with this sort of stuff


> > > to get started. If it can be arranaged then I'm interested in giving this
a
> > > go. So who here lives somewhere near newtown and wants to play with this?
> > >
> > > I think this should probably go to the main list, btw.
> > >
> > > routing on such a network is an interesting question... Do these wireless
> > > lan cards actually use ethernet or do they use ppp or something? if they
> > > used ppp then it might be better to use something like multi-drop ppp so
> > > that there's a couple of ways for data to move around... or something.
> > >
> > > hmmmm... *goes off to ponder routing and have breakfast*
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > nope, thank you. :)
> > >
> > > >
> > > > Marcel
> > >
> > > James.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > SLUG - Sydney Linux User Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/
> > > > More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug-chat
> > > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > "I'm not vegetarian becuase I love animals; I'm vegetarian because I hate
> > >  plants." - unknown.
> > >
> > >
> > > --
> > > SLUG - Sydney Linux User Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/
> > > More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug-chat
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> > SLUG - Sydney Linux User Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/
> > More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug-chat
> >
>
> --
> "I'm not vegetarian becuase I love animals; I'm vegetarian because I hate
>  plants." - unknown.
>
>
> --
> SLUG - Sydney Linux User Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/
> More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug-chat
>