Diff: NodeISI

--- Version 3 

+++ Version 4 

@@ -1,17 +1,7 @@ 

-I've recently moved in to a new home, DSL is finally connected (after 4 months waiting) so I can move ahead with my plans, which are... 

+My free internet access project is now active. It's in a "walled garden" configuration which means that there is a whitelist of permitted sites; access to a site that is not on the list is shown a 404 splash page instead. This type of setup is intended to reduce the risk of abuse as the users are virtually non traceable. It is implemented with a firewall redirect of all port 80 traffic, and a simple PHP script which analyses the requested URL and decides whether to "pass through" the content, or deny it with the splash page. There is no direct IP translation; the server fetches the object (via a local caching proxy) and relays it to the user. 

 

+Currently the setup is running off a couple of standard APs (Dlink 900AP+ and MSI RG54G2) so the geographical coverage is *severely* limited. This also means that it's currently impossible to connect with any other MW members... not that there are many around here! I hope to build or purchase a higher power setup in the near future. For now, I've located the APs at opposite ends of my home in order to increase the potential for people to be able to see AND connect to at least one of them. 

 

-1. General wireless networking. I was surprised to see a couple of nodes (AAC:~500m and FOX:~1km) very close to me. At my previous address the nearest node was over 4km away, and being in a rental property the prospects of connecting to anyone looked fairly grim. 

+The project uses a dedicated FreeBSD server with a private LAN cross connect into my home network. Both access points connect to the same server so it doesn't matter which AP you're associated with - the only difference is that you'll be assigned an IP from another range. 

 

-2. Provision of "free" internet access, utilising unused download/transfer from my DSL plan. I use quotes because whilst the access would be uncharged - ACA regs mandate this - it would not be simply anonymous and anarchic. For my own legal protection I'd probably need to have some sort of agreement with the people logging in. I'm still not sure about this project, I don't know whether I'd end up with a mini community of people making good use of my services (which gives something back to me - something along the lines of being a BBS sysop in the early 90s) or just a bunch of faceless leeches who do their own thing. 

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-I haven't hopped onto my roof yet, but I do live next to an old access road which cuts a neat "do not build" line through the housing estate, and looking east along that I can easily see mountains in the distance. Next door (south) is a double storey house so that completely limits my view of the inner city area. From my roof I'm pretty sure I'll be able to see Mt Ridley to the north, which would be a fantastic place to locate a significant northern suburbs gateway/node. Mt Ridley contains plenty of housing (such as the Highlands Craigieburn estate) so "putting a node on the mountain" isn't as hard as it first sounds. :) 

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-Current equipment: 

-- Dlink 900AP+ access point (.11b) 

-- MSI RG54G2 access point (.11g) - open and currently labelled as "CONNECT2ME" 

-- Avaya Gold PCMCIA card (.11b) 

-- MSI PC54G2 PCI card (.11g) 

-- Cyrix 120MHz running FreeBSD as dedicated wireless server. Currently has DHCP and a dummy web server which all port 80 requests are redirected to. 

+The location of the network is near the border of Craigieburn and Roxburgh Park, a little west of Bridgewater Road. SSIDs are MYFREEWIFI_b and MYFREEWIFI_g.