Rural Broadband with mesh networking??

Gibs

Hi folks,

I've been reading about mesh networking in the UK and US. Perhaps this is old hat to some on the forum (though I've just become aware of it) but I'm wondering if it might be possible to implement it in Ireland?

Briefly, and with apologies in advance for my poor grasp of techie stuff to anyone who is more adept than me, it appears to work like this:

Mesh networking, from what I can gather, is a way of 'subletting' a single BB connection to your neighbours by using a neighbourhood wireless LAN. One person gets connected using conventional methods and then sets up a sort of local collective using unrestricted radio bandwidth to connect to other users who live nearby.

Anyone who wants to make use of it (obviously within range of the signal) puts a wireless card in their computer and I assume makes an arrangement with, the person who has essentially become their local ISP, to split the cost. Apparently OFTEL in the UK have recently ruled that up to 20 people are entitled to use each BB connection.

The equipment appears to be reasonably affordable and the techie expertise required is apparently not beyond the grasp of mortals.

No doubt there are loads of issues re feasibility, Irish broadcasting legislation and the like but I can't help wondering whether or not this might be possible in Ireland.

And yes, I know you need to have at least one conventional connection and its that lack of availability that is the biggest stumbling block here, but at least it might address the issue of price. Rural groups in the UK, who are not being serviced by BT seem to be getting very excited by the concept.

Does anyone know if this is a runner in Ireland or not? Or am I living in cuckoo land, thinking that this kind of subversion of Officialdom would be tolerated here.

Any thoughts from those of you who might know more would be appreciated - even if its only to tell me that its impossible/illegal/impractical. Or maybe I've got the wrong end of the stick altogether.......

Cheers,
Gibs

seamus

I know there's a few issues with this, but some people have/are trying this, in the form of Community WANs.

Basically a group of people pay for the equipment and space, and erect a mini-mast in a well-populated area. Then they get a leased line, and everyone can use it. That's about as far as I know about this, there's plenty more here that can discuss more about it.

As for doing it within estates, probably not. Most residential broadband providers have strict controls on how many computers can be connected to a line, and about sharing. That's not to say, you can't do it, it's just illegal, and liable to land you with some large bills.

Gibs

Damn it. I thought it sounded too good to be true.

dieselfreak

www.irishwan.org

There are quite a few people doing exactly what you've described in Ireland right now...

The legal side of sharing the internet connection will greatly depend on what you ISP's policy is, for the service that your paying for.

e.g. the rules for domestic ADSL packages are differenent to that of buiness ADSL connections

spongebob

Mesh is not wif-fi wireless in the 2.4Ghz band.

It is a self healing, multiple route , each base is alsoe a transmitter system.....and it is new.

BT is running a trial in Wales for over 6 months now, heard nuthin!

M

gombín

Muck,

Trials were relatively successful. See below:

http://www.broadbandwales.org.uk/information/index.php

Regards.

sceptre

Originally posted by Muck
It is a self healing, multiple route , each base is alsoe a transmitter system.....and it is new.

Like the pictures in this article (I think I linked to this some time ago but I'm not sure)

Nuphor

That picture's seriously retarded. Can you imagine the chaos that'd ensue if a dog walked in front of _your_ beam?

They'd need to placed pretty darn high. Laser's suck.

Wireless is most likely the only way broadband will get delivered to rural area's though. Or satellite, like me

Gibs

Thanks for the links guys - all extremely informative. I've come across a lot of commercial websites offering optical and microwave links, but I'm wondering about the more grassroots approach.

Intereseting article re future possibilities at this link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/story/0,3605,781843,00.html

spongebob

Funny how all the UK trials were conducted by BT in the Regions and that the head of BT Regions is none other than ESAT's own Bill Murphy .... bill.murphy@esat.com ....... When will BT be conducting trials of Mesh in Ireland then?

M

sceptre

Originally posted by Muck
When will BT be conducting trials of Mesh in Ireland then?

I suspect it'll be a while - no news yet from hell on winter coat sales increasing.

Gibs

Interesting story re a small town in UK that already has a mesh networking system up and running.....Apparently its being done without the involvement/supervision of BT!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian_jobs_and_money/story/0,3605,891166,00.html

quozl

there have been mesh networks using 802.11b for the links available for about a year. And more recently there are have been open source mesh networks produced. The radio doesnt need to change it just needs a bit of intelligence in the access points, so an old pc with can easily be part of one of these mesh networks.

The reason that you don't see them being used in ireland is mainly because the throughput is crap. The mesh networks may be more robust but (so far) this has come at a cost of more overhead and much poorer throughput. And a decent network with dynamic routing should be pretty robust anyway.

Also with every node acting as a server node you have the liklihood of more noise decreasing signal quality and throughput (all those omni's talking to all the other nodes

So basically, a nice idea, but not yet very practical.

Greg

spongebob

See this story Here about the Florida Fire brigade.

It makes perfect sense if there are a load of firemen in a building which happens to be smoked outta it.

M