View source for 510pen: Creating a Community Wireless Mesh Network

Facilitated by Mark Burdett, 510pen

[http://510pen.org/ 510pen] is building an east bay community wireless mesh network. Mark will demonstrate the technology, and discuss the underlying technology as well as the innovations and challenges in bringing such a project to completion. Mark will also explain both the firmware and management dashboard, which are both open-source.

== Session Notes ==

MESH NETWORKS

INCEPTION // HISTORY // USES
invented for military use
  battlefield
  urban environments
  comm doesn't have to go thru central command
  gps: track locations of other units
  
idirium satellite constellation
  figures out what satellite is in range

oil refineries
  thousands or millions of sensors being meshed to monitor systems
  low power reqs
  designed to sleep, mostly

exo laptop
  one laptop per child
  every laptop is a router
  open source project with closed source mesh

510net playing with mesh routers with big antennas
  very powerful in a small package
  optimizing link state routing (OLSR) -- open source standard
  802.11s -- draft for new mesh networking standard
    everyone has their own implementation
      Linux
      FreeBSD
      exo
    might be the future when everything is compatible
  work bidirectionally
    can switch if internet access goes dead, technical issues

batman -- better approach to mobile ad hoc networking
robin -- routing batman inside
  firmware based on OpenWRT

(drawing of mesh network shown)

can have a private network if you want

OLSR
  compatible to 15-20 routers off the shelf (open mesh routers $40/$25)
  huge antenna is an add on
  can expand # of compatible routers by using custom firmware
    source code written in C
  can have multiple gateways -- will use fewest hops and link quality
    mathmatically deciding the best network and topology
      can use matlab or octave to help plan a mesh network
  can throttle connections
  wouldn't recommend doing qos / traffic shaping
    could use some kinf firewall device or linux box
  updated OTA

bound by limits of wifi
  usually around 200 feet for a non omni directional antenna
  can use directional antenna (up to 1mi range)
  can go 10's of km's easily with the right hardware
  line of sight / potential interference
  2 radios
    one for the backbone / backhauling traffic to the internet
    one for local wireless coverage
  strong signal in one plane
    they tried to build a mesh network in santa rosa
    used meraki, who encourages people to charge, and then they skim off the top

dashboard
  open source
  info about MAC addresses and bandwidth
  potential privacy issues
  hands out config data to the mesh routers
    firewall rules
    SSH password for root
  510pen building their own dashboard (built on Kohana)
    another called OrangeMesh
  AGPL software
    can't have a private fork unless you have a private dashboard
    if you provide a community network you must adhere to AGPL

problems
  trying to build a backbone on a freely available frequency
  middle class areas have wifi in each house which creates interference
  residential internet providers typically only allows for a household, not a shared service
    sonic.net doesn't care
  legal issues: kiddie porn, "terrorist" activities, other illicit activity
    can setup to require accounts
    community ISP, so theoretically legally protected
  using too much bandwidth
    scripts to knock them off for X amount of time
  security concerns
    SSH password for root from dashboard to router
      use SSL certs

underserved areas
  can share one connection for a block, building, etc
  
http://510pen.org/
  applied for broadband stimulus funding with Zero Divide
    30 billion in proposals right now for 4 billion in funding
    "sustainable broadband adoption"
    telcos can respond to the proposals, but not to these proposals
    telcos are vehemently opposing proposals by smaller companies trying to provide broadband services
  supports models that the commuity comes up with
    one model: anchor node with a tip jar gateway or more structured payments
  focusing on really low income neighborhood in east oakland
  map online
    piedmont ave
    downtown oakland (19th and franklin)
  each owner has full admin control of their node
  building fully customized settings for each node
  
can be faster and cheaper than traditional setup

sign up at https://510pen.org/user
buy hardware yourself (perhaps at openmesh.org, or others)