Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

WAN Ideas

135

Comments

  • #62
    Chaos-Engine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 772 ✭✭✭Chaos-Engine


    Ballymun flats would be excellent for mos of the city :D

    BUt we would need a 3 metre high perimater fence...
    But would could also be the ppl to put Ballymun ont he web for free :)


  • #63
    bkehoe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭bkehoe


    This is something we need to decide: commercial or community. Being an ISP is not what was really in mind as a community wan. Being an isp would mean that it would be necessary for a license. I would not be interested in this project.

    The community one would enable members to easily share files, get stuff from the cache that would be stores, play multiplayer games with each other, e.t.c., and to share an internet connection, allowing others to use it, all for free.

    Setting up a real ISP would not be a community wan in my opinion. The costs seem astronomical for setting up with just one base station compared to what the community one would offer. Such an undertaking would doubtfully be offered free to anyone.

    Even if community, that kit is way to expensive just to cover one area, which may not even have 31 clients to offer a service too. I beleive that a community wan could expand quicker, and be the most sensible course of action; leave the isp stuff to someone like Chorus; community wans offer internet access as a secondary benefit.

    Just my opinion on the thing. I didn't start this thread for commercial wans, but community, as they are everywhere else. Others will no doubt like the idea. I will continue to set up the site, and hosting, e.t.c., but it will only be for a community wan.

    Sure the community wan could probably get some equipment from that company if it worked out cheaper, but none of the router crap, as the community wan won't really have any 'core' to it.

    I know you were just posting prices for stuff, but I just wanted to make my point of what a community wan means clear first.


  • #64
    kamobe
    Registered Users Posts: 857 ✭✭✭kamobe


    "Is anyone in Dublin interested in meeting up and discussing these ideas?"

    Most definately :)


  • #65
    SkepticOne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭SkepticOne


    Originally posted by kamobe
    "Is anyone in Dublin interested in meeting up and discussing these ideas?"

    Most definately :)
    Three!

    In agreement with bkehoe, I also think it should be a community based thing. There are many ways things can be done and the wireless ISP model is only one.


  • #66
    fixer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 555 ✭✭✭fixer


    I agree somewhat, and was just posting prices to give us an idea of the far side of the spectrum.

    The reason this sort of things works so well in the States if the availablity of fairly low cost broadband to many areas. Since we don't have that here, what would we be doing, sharing our isdn connections at minutely rates?

    I look at this issue as both convenience (I would love to be able to sit at a cafe on Paul Street or in a pub anywhere and work on my laptop) but also as solving a need - this would allow me to get a high bandwidth connection to my home, even allowing me to move (I only let a house, nothing permanent).

    I think there is a potential for a community, non profit that covers the costs of this. Perhaps a sponsor business, such as the Internet Exchange (this in no way implies their involvement, just an example!) would buy the equipment to hook into their current frame relay line. Then, we (anyone who wants to be part of the co-op) kicks in our % of the costs they incur.

    Alternately, using the random method, each of us with high speed connections buy the wireless access points ourselves (such as the Linksys BEWF11S4 for US$200, range of 100m-300m) and create small nodes everywhere, which require no group involvement.


  • Advertisement
  • #67
    Matfinn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 364 ✭✭Matfinn


    Lo all

    I would be interested in discussing this idea in Dublin and meeting up, and I also have a mate who would be interested. I think the idea of having a leader for each of the 32 counties in this country is a good idea. Maybe not a leader but definitely a group.

    Keep me posted anyway. Ill do what I can.

    my email address is

    matfinucane at eircom dot net

    Thanks

    Matt


  • #68
    bkehoe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭bkehoe


    Hi,
    In my opinion, the apple airport is the best access point to use in base stations. It has a connector for external antenna, and if very popular in WANs. It has a RJ45 port for connecting into a normal LAN if there is one where it's situated, and also a phone port if needed. 15KM around each base station with say a 10db omnidirectional antenna, and the clients using a 20db antenna should be very easy, with greater distances easily achieved.

    I think that the community alone should buy their equipment, e.t.c. in order to keep commercial companies out of it, and the users fully in control. Getting some support from a company, and paying the company for some kind of connection would definatly be on, but making them a part of the network in a financial sense would require some serious consideration imho.


  • #69
    fixer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 555 ✭✭✭fixer


    a couple more urls, which may be more in line with what bkehoe was looking for, a wireless network as a network, not just a method of internet access:

    http://consume.net
    http://www.guerrilla.net/


  • #70
    yellum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,025 ✭✭✭yellum


    I agree with Brendan. Community owned and run. If someone else owns the network they can boot you off or increase prices or put in download caps or do whatever they want. With a community its democracy. The guy with most money doesn't make the decision, everyone does.

    Same goes for discipling users who abuse services etc. I also think fast and cheap net access would be the icing on the cake but not the main reason for it. Local community thing. Create your own local internet. Share files between everyone.

    I see the wireless WAN like when everyone shared data using bbs's . Dialing in over expensive but slow modems. Download new text files with all this new information. There was such a good sense of community spirit back then. Its almost lost now. A wireless community-owned non-commercial wan would bring us back to the good old days.


  • #71
    SkepticOne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭SkepticOne


    Originally posted by Matfinn
    Lo all

    I would be interested in discussing this idea in Dublin and meeting up, and I also have a mate who would be interested. I think the idea of having a leader for each of the 32 counties in this country is a good idea. Maybe not a leader but definitely a group.

    Matt
    Four. I believe there have already been meetings in local areas around Dublin, but unfortunately I was nowhere near so could not take part. This meeting should be about the general principles, but technical and organisational rather than trying to establish line of sight etc. There are a few things to be worked out first IMHO.


  • Advertisement
  • #72
    phaxx
    Registered Users Posts: 1,842 ✭✭✭phaxx


    I realise it's a bit early for this, but how would you ban a disruptive user? I don't know how the technology works, haven't had any experience with it yet, but I intend to see to that sometime. :)

    20KM you say? That's an awful lot more than I thought could be achieved with wireless.

    I think I'll start saving for some wireless kit to play with. :)


  • #73
    yellum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,025 ✭✭✭yellum


    MAC addresses of hardware would need to be submitted to be allowed to get on to the network. No communications allowed with unknown mac addys. You be bad your are banned. I dunno, that can be worked out later.


    MAC means Media Access Catalog in this instance.


  • #74
    yellum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,025 ✭✭✭yellum


    Heres an application for a Wireless WAN

    Community Owned Music:

    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=31053

    Please post your opinions there. Any reasons why it won't work or is illegal would be appreciated.


  • #75
    HaVoC
    Registered Users Posts: 261 ✭✭HaVoC


    yellum i am outside midleton (east cork) its would probably be next to near impossibale for me to get connected to the wan as i am in a valley!!


  • #76
    bkehoe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭bkehoe


    Hi,

    The domain irishwan.org has been registered, and I have set up hosting on one of my colo servers for it.
    I'm also after adding cork.irishwan.org, wexford.irishwan.org and dublin.irishwan.org to the dns, which should be updating for ppl soon.

    I will be testing some website stuff on the main www.irishwan.org website between now and the weekend, and will make a fully functional site on Saturday/Sunday.

    yellum will be in charge of the Cork site.

    I will run the wexford one.

    I was wondering if someone from the Dublin area who knows a bit about wans and websites could set up a site for a dublin wan on dublin.irishwan.org?

    Brendan


  • #77
    zenith
    Registered Users Posts: 785 ✭✭✭zenith


    Hi,

    I've control of a 2Mb + 2Mb redundant circuit in the city centre (South Mall) which could get involved on a goodwill basis in trials, if you wanted to put a COR in there.

    It's also got a PIX (good for us) and failover routers, and 90% of the traffic is going in the opposite direction (as in, out not in) so it might be a good place to anchor the network, as long as no-one wanted to run any servers etc, which won't be possible with our RIPE allocation. More on this when a Cork committee is set up.

    I live in Youghal, and I'd like to figure out a way of connecting that up: I own a (high) part of Youghal has line of sight to Midleton town, Havok, and there's at least four of us here in the town who want to participate.


  • #78
    bkehoe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭bkehoe


    zenith, that sounds great! I beleive yellum will be leading the Cork commuity, as he is going to do the cork website anyway. How much bandwidth do you think would be available for a WAN; 1MBit approx?

    BTW, got some stuff onto the site including a poll, e.t.c. :)

    Brendan


  • #79
    cmkrnl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 58 ✭✭cmkrnl


    Originally posted by bkehoe
    How much bandwidth do you think would be available for a WAN; 1MBit approx?

    Brendan

    I'd recommend conserving ever more bandwidth & run WCCP off the pix to say a squid box to minimise browser loading, would make all the difference.


    greg


  • #80
    bkehoe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭bkehoe


    Yep, squid is a good idea. Had planned a squid that would cache stuff like zips, rars, exes, e.t.c., and html and image files. most php stuff, asp, e.t.c. is dynamic, so not worth caching.

    BTW, anyone good at graphics, that could maybe make a logo for Irishwan.org?


  • #81
    zenith
    Registered Users Posts: 785 ✭✭✭zenith


    We'll play that by ear, but setting the cap at a meg initally sounds fine.

    I'm going to stay out of the actual setup, I'll let the comittee organise that, but there's a quantity of 19" rack space at the end of the line so there's no prob. with the equip.

    I could probably rustle up an old gateway PII for a server also, if desired.

    Should we start a Cork thread?


  • Advertisement
  • #82
    alastair
    Registered Users Posts: 19,307 ✭✭✭✭alastair


    Umm, I'd be happy to roll out a logo.
    drop us an email and let me know if there's anything specific you would want included.

    I'm a north inner city (dublin) resident and doubt I've line of sight to any convenient transmission point. I'm probably setting up an airport network at home some time soon though, and the whole wireless community wan notion appeals to me.

    cheers,
    alastair
    www.hexhibit.com


  • #83
    bkehoe
    Registered Users Posts: 2,153 ✭✭✭bkehoe


    Hi zenith, that's great! I suppose we can say that the WAN in cork has now got it's internet connection! :D

    I'm going to put a message board on the irishwan.org site, with a seperate forum for issues in say the cork, wexford, dublin wans, a general forum for discussing wan topics, and a tech one where people can get help with equipment they've got. I'll probably get that up tonight.

    alastair, ygm. :)

    Thanks,
    Brendan


  • #84
    SkepticOne
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,718 ✭✭✭SkepticOne


    So who of the Dublin people is up for a daytime meeting the weekend after next (29/30 September) in somewhere in the center of town? Be good to have about five or six people.


  • #85
    Chris_533976
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,082 ✭✭✭Chris_533976


    Alright folks if someone tells me that Cobh wont be included in this IrishWAN thing then Im going to scream. I live on the south side of the island, and it would kill me to think that Midleton, Cork etc all have it. YOU MUST SET UP SOMETHING IN THE AGHADA/CARRIGALINE AREA. That would cover Cobh easily.

    LAUNCH SOMETHING IN COBH. Otherwise, Im commiting suicide. And I may not be joking.

    --Chris--


  • #86
    yellum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,025 ✭✭✭yellum


    Well with that kind of threat Chris !
    I think people from Crosshaven may also join and some others as well. I'm going to put up some holding page on http://cork.irishwan.org soon and add a form for those that want to register their interest.

    In the meantime can Cork people email me direct at cz@esatclear.ie with their location so we can get a rough view of where we are ? Getting on this wan will need an investment of about £300 and lots of time an patience. You up for that ? In the long run its a very small price.

    We'll have to meet up as well later on down the line. Arrange a date for all us to have a meet and geek, er I mean greet.

    I've requested on the admin forum that we have our own forum for all things wan and hardware hacking/tweaking. I think we are just slightly off topic for the irelandOffline forum.

    So, let the games begin.


  • #87
    zenith
    Registered Users Posts: 785 ✭✭✭zenith


    Hi Chris, if you know anybody in Carrigaline, they may be able to see people in Douglas that I know will be interested. If my thinking is correct, with the correct relaying we should well be able to get Cobh in there.

    However, you'll have to cough up for the kit like the rest of us :)

    Anybody got a map of the correct scale showing elevations?


  • #88
    yellum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,025 ✭✭✭yellum


    Going to try and sweet talk a friend in the planning dept. of Digifone tomorrow. Or maybe now if his mobile is on !


  • #89
    yellum
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,025 ✭✭✭yellum


    Alastair,
    I'd be delighted if you could do a logo for the Cork group. I cannot speak for the main site, thats up to Brendan.

    We'll have to incorporate some of the features of the Rebel County into the logo if possible. A hurley and an antenna ? (joking, kinda )

    Damien.


  • #90
    zenith
    Registered Users Posts: 785 ✭✭✭zenith


    Hi,
    CLUG and/or ILUG should also be contacted, as they've been casting about for this for a while. If memory serves, they seem to be on the west of the city, so interesting possibilities there.

    Also, Press/PR is vital for this - there's a lot of hard-core techies of the older generation in Cork who might be interested in this (specially the EMC, Apple lads), and this could really snowball. Can we form a comittee ASAP?

    best,
    ruairi


  • Advertisement
  • #91
    Matfinn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 364 ✭✭Matfinn



    I was wondering if someone from the Dublin area who knows a bit about wans and websites could set up a site for a dublin wan on dublin.irishwan.org?

    Brendan [/B]

    Lo Bren

    I would me more than happy to take on the task of setting up a site for the Dublin branch of Irishwan.org

    Ill get working on the webpage this weekend. If there are any things you want done to it in particular drop me a mail. my email address is

    matfinucane at eircom dot net

    In the meantime, is there a way we can get ordnance survey maps of the three areas, and then the whole country. I canread them, and in that way I will be able to pick out a good place to put a node.

    Gluck all

    Matt


Advertisement