Building Wireless Community Networks is about getting people online
using wireless network technology. The 802.11b standard (also known as
WiFi) makes it possible to network towns, schools, neighborhoods, small
business, and almost any kind of organization. All that's required is a
willingness to cooperate and share resources.The first edition of this
book helped thousands of people engage in community networking
activities. At the time, it was impossible to predict how quickly and
thoroughly WiFi would penetrate the marketplace. Today, with
WiFi-enabled computers almost as common as Ethernet, it makes even more
sense to take the next step and network your community using nothing but
freely available radio spectrum.This book has showed many people how to
make their network available, even from the park bench, how to extend
high-speed Internet access into the many areas not served by DSL and
cable providers, and how to build working communities and a shared
though intangible network. All that's required to create an access point
for high-speed Internet connection is a gateway or base station. Once
that is set up, any computer with a wireless card can log onto the
network and share its resources.Rob Flickenger built such a network in
northern California, and continues to participate in network-building
efforts. His nuts-and-bolts guide covers:
- Selecting the appropriate equipment
- Finding antenna sites, and building and installing antennas
- Protecting your network from inappropriate access
- New network monitoring tools and techniques (new)
- Regulations affecting wireless deployment (new)
- IP network administration, including DNS and IP Tunneling (new)
His expertise, as well as his sense of humor and enthusiasm for the
topic, makes Building Wireless Community Networks a very useful and
readable book for anyone interested in wireless connectivity.
