[ogWiFi] Wireless access for a whole community...How to do it

[Michael Richardson]

David, what you are doing is great.

The key, in my opinion, is to realize that you want to grow into being a
mesh wireless network.  Do not try to this this immediately, but think
about this as a longer term goal.

    David> The second scenario is an apartment complex. We could get DSL
    David> and run wires in an old infrastructure, but that would be
    David> cost prohibitive I would imagine. So lets picture 4 floors
    David> and over 230 residences. I assume this is unique as we are no
    David> longer talking a wood structure but concrete and re-bar. Also
    David> not to mention Cable companies and phone service providers
    David> that probably already pay to have their hard wired
    David> infrastructure.

1 DSL just won't serve for 230 residences anymore. 
You'll want to sit down with RGB and others to learn about the
experiences at conscoop.ottawa.on.ca.

You'll also want to talk to Bill St.Arnand about dark-fibre options.
(I know that sounds expensive today, but keep it in mind)

To do this really requires that you have the cooperation of the building
owner --- some of them have signed exclusivity agreements with Bell or
Rogers!  

    David> Because the residences would more than likely be the ones
    David> funding the internet connection we would implement a captive
    David> portal to ensure only the sponsoring community benefits (at
    David> least for the short term), so I have been looking at wifi dog
    David> again, hosted on a box and not embedded in a router.

Don't. ogwifi already provides that functionality with wifidog.
Alternatively, you may want to consider "fon.com".

-- 
]       He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life!           |  firewalls  [
]   Michael Richardson, Sandelman Software Works, Ottawa, ON    |net architect[
] mcr at sandelman.ottawa.on.ca http://www.sandelman.ottawa.on.ca/ |device driver[
] panic("Just another Debian GNU/Linux using, kernel hacking, security guy"); [