[Cu-wireless] meeting minutes 4 November 2001

[David Young]

Started 1:30PM.

Attending: Stefan, Mark, Sascha, Steve, Peter, David, Zach

We talked about some conceptions of the wireless project. Zach & Sascha
advocate community networking under auspices of Independent Media Center
(IMC), IMC providing server space and a non-profit that can accept
donations/loans to the wireless project.

Prevalent conception is that the network is open. If there are abuses
(illegal things ; denial-of-service), some sort of membership (IMC
membership?) *might* be invoked to bar further abuses.

Will we limit bandwidth? Impose a fee structure? Decided that we'll address
these questions as they come up.

Liability? We are a common carrier. To limit liability, we will keep no
logs and take no security precautions. It is users' responsibility to
secure their network sessions.  We may offer IP Sec access to a members'
network someday.

For people who purchase their own bandwidth, how will they share it?
There are problems of routing, getting people started. We should see
if there isn't some black box we can give people that "just works"
for sharing bandwidth.

Some discussion of centralization vs. decentralization. There are
advantages to multiple Internet connections, like redundancy. It is
a problem for a community network to have disconnected cells.  We can
support both models.

IMC will raise funds to buy text boxes.

Places that we will strive to connect are geeks' homes, non-geek
participants' homes, organizations like IMC and participants' workplaces
(On the Job Consulting), non-profits (ISEN).

How do we connect to the Internet? T1 or multiple T1 mentioned. Allegedly,
symmetric DSL is newly available from McLeod: $69.90/mo for 384k.
SDSL obviates the need for T1. Saves money. Symmetric DSL is preferred
because it lets community members serve their own content.

Some discussion of building an infrastructure. Can we put equipment
on streetlights? Means dealing w/ city government, ugh. Maybe a few
years out.  Tunneling through the Internet is possible to connect
cells divided by trees. Powerful directional antennas will connect
outliers.  For connecting cells, "dry" pairs, alarm pairs from Ameritech
were discussed. Ameritech may disconnect these if they're used for
data. Bummer.

The plan: Work on a centralized network and promote & reward individual
initiatives. In the short term, have work parties to build things. Also,
put a project-status clearinghouse on the Web so we can track all the
initiatives.

Zach & Sascha tell us there was a meeting Saturday w/ two employees of
NCSA, who loaned some equipment.

We did a survey of resources people are interested in loaning:

On loan from the NCSA guys: 1 pigtail, 4 ft
                            1 WaveLAN silver card
                            1 WaveLAN gold card
                            2 helical antennas, 1.5ft, w/ posts

David:                      1 ARRL Antenna Handbook
                            1 ARRL Microwave Handbook Vol. 1

                            1 of Peter's WaveLAN Silver cards 
                            1 Airport Card
                            1 100MHz Pentium computer w/ monitor
                            van
                            cable modem service

Peter:                      6 WaveLAN cards
                            2 parabolic dish antennas
                            2 5dB Lucent omni antennas
                            1 desktop adapter (ISA -> PCMCIA)
                            2 laptops
                            1 inverter
                            4 different base stations, including an Airport
                              and a bridge
                            1 Airport card 
                            1 crimper
                            2 pigtails
                            20ft of coax, the thick kind
                            4 N connectors

Sascha:                     work space & storage at his home. tools.
                            a laptop.

Zach:                       laptop w/ PC Card slots
                            DSL connection

Mark:                       laptop
                            cable modem

Stefan:                     server

Proposed working groups:

    Fundraising (talk to Sascha)
    Researching tower permits (Zach)
    Laser data comm. (Peter)
    Recruitment (Zach)

Meet again next week, same place (Sascha's: 604 S. Race). It will be
a work meeting.  Please bring maps, antennas, laptop computers,
and wireless cards.

    Peter & David will bring antennas

      2 dish
      2 helical
      2 Pringles can Yagi
      2 juice can

    Steve will bring USGS topo maps

    Zach will bring property maps (?)

    Dave will bring 2 FRS radios

    Please bring your laser pointers for aiming antennas

    Prepare your laptop's software ahead of time

    Arrange roof access around town, if possible (OJC, IMC, ...)

Finished a little before 4PM.

-- 
David Young                   On the Job Consulting
dyoung at onthejob.net     Urbana, IL * (217) 278-3933