I came across the story of this neighborhood mesh network in DC and thought
I'd share. They're using Commotion firmware on Ubiquity routers. They've
only managed to get a handful of nodes up but I think their experience is
informative.
I like his posts Start With People and Treat it like Infrastructure,
http://mountpleasantcwn.net/blog/
This marketing doc is good,
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3YVvUQQSjTpTkg5YkxNLXVXR3M/edit?pli=1
Rad meeting tonight! Here are notes, which shall be cross-posted to the
wiki: http://sudoroom.org/wiki/Mesh
=Action Items=
==Immediate==
*OpenITP Grant - throw in your thoughts! -
https://pad.riseup.net/p/510penITPapp - due March 31st
*Market research on 4MB routers that will run OpenWRT
*Juul will research binoculars and send info to Mark (carryover item)
*Testing with satellite dishes - in sudo room next week! (after the main
meeting)
==Longer Term==
*Send out map and work on it
*Update website
**Commenting on nodes (Revent, Tidepools)
*Come up with a handout for going door-to-door
=Attendees=
Jenny, Miguel, Mark B, Bill, Jordan, with some OaklandWiki meshing ;D,
=Notes=
*How the site works:
**Create an account and put in the MAC address of the mesh router
**Allows us to build a list of all the routers on the network
*openmesh firmware runs a shell script when first installed, connects to
openmesh.org and our own instance, 510pen, is recognized and fed directly
to the router
*How the portal currently works:
**Pushes the HTML to openmesh.com if it updates
*How the portal could work:
**Data source on the mesh, some IP, every router could use static pages
(using javascript restful endpoints)
*We should get more routers! 8MB preferably, 4MB might work
*We'd need more CPU - WRT4GL's should work - CPU can easily be maxed out
depending on size of the mesh
*Installing fibre along International Blvd - a highspeed access point would
make it worthwhile to shoot across the city
*Research fibre in East Oakland
*Mesh nodes for GSM
*RanchWiFi - Solar ISP - Matt's connection
*Sudo GSM! We use all the protocols at sudo!!
*Old Sonic routers??
**Opt-in with Sonic? - Dane Jasper
*Should we abandon OpenMesh and flash routers with our own firmware? At the
very least, we should field test the firmwares out there.
*OpenMesh used to use OLSR, and is proud to have switched to batman-adv
*802.11s - mesh standard - what's the deal?
*BattleMesh!!! 4/20 in Denmark - we should keep tabs on how that pans out.
Or.. go?
=Reportbacks=
*Jenny followed up in #oti on weatherproof equipment Ubiquiti equipments
*Jenny and Mark B presented 510pen at Open Oakland.
*Follow up with Tony on Cisco connection - "how many routers do you need?"
he asked at Open Oakland meeting. Mark's answer, "ideally, one in every
other house."
*Bill did not flash the router ;) but his Coursera course is ending soon!
bOm,
Jenny
http://jennyryan.nethttp://thepyre.orghttp://thevirtualcampfire.orghttp://technomadic.tumblr.com
`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
"Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories."
-Laurie Anderson
"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."
-Hannah Arendt
"To define is to kill. To suggest is to create."
-Stéphane Mallarmé
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
Meeting minutes are also archived here:
http://sudoroom.org/wiki/Mesh/21_February_2013
=Attendees=
Mark, Juul, Jenny, Bill, Miguel, Dres
=Debrief from Saturday's field trip=
*Replaced router at the Bikery in San Antonio (1) and Matt's house in
Fruitvale (2)
*Installed new router at the Bikery's second location (in the same building
as LOLspace) (3)
*Scoped out the rooftop situation at the LOL/SOL building
=Research=
*Bill did [[
http://lists.sudoroom.org/pipermail/mesh/2013-February/000017.html research
on OLSR / routing protocols]
*Juul did [
http://lists.sudoroom.org/pipermail/mesh/2013-February/000021.html research
on what's needed to do rooftop tests]
=Equipment Needs=
*Binoculars w/ built-in compass
*Normal compasses if the above can't be procured
*Tripods for mounting antennas
*Wifi USB dongles
*Wifi measuring device (from Ubiquiti)
*Weather-resistent enclosures
*Walkie talkies!
=Ideas=
*Wifi-based microwave interference detector
*Ham certification gives you some privileges on the wifi frequencies (up to
50 watts!?)
*Alameda island mesh network attempt:
http://blog.gmane.org/gmane.network.wireless.alameda
*We should assess wifi rane in crappy weather conditions
*Schools, libraries, city buildings
=Needs Assessment=
*How much equipment can we procure from donations?
*DD-WRT and OpenWRT compliance with various kinds of routers
=Sudo Room Inventory=
*OpenMesh MR500
*1 Linksys WRT54GL v.1.1 (4 MB)
*2 Linksys WAP54G v.3.1 (2 MB)
=Action Items=
*Research on outdoor weatherproof equipment
**Jenny will talk to Commotion folks
*Work on OpenITP proposal.
*Work on proposal for OpenOakland / City of Oakland.
---------
Jenny
http://jennyryan.nethttp://thepyre.orghttp://thevirtualcampfire.orghttp://technomadic.tumblr.com
`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
"Technology is the campfire around which we tell our stories."
-Laurie Anderson
"Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it."
-Hannah Arendt
"To define is to kill. To suggest is to create."
-Stéphane Mallarmé
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`
I chatted in #OTI today re: weatherproof equipment. OTI (Open Technology
Institute) is the org supporting the Commotion project. It was suggested
that more support could be garnered through joining the commotion-dev
mailing list: https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/commotion-dev
-------------------------------------------
(12:32:35 PM) tunabananas1: I am seeking suggestions for outdoor
weatherproof equipment for mesh setups! ping jrbaldwin1
(12:42:52 PM) andygunn: tunabananas1: What info do you need about mesh
equipment?
(12:43:15 PM) andygunn: We usually use Ubiquiti equipment, since it is our
development platform for Commotion stuff
(12:52:54 PM) tunabananas1: andygunn: so in the wild ubiquiti APs need no
additional weatherproofing?
(12:53:16 PM) andygunn: Nope. If you use the outdoor rated equipment from
Ubiquiti, they are fine
(12:53:27 PM) andygunn: Most of their gear is outdoor, they only have a few
things that are indoor
(12:53:36 PM) andygunn: Such as some switches, routers, a few access points
(12:53:54 PM) andygunn: All PicoStations, Rockets, Nano_ units are outdoor
rated
(12:54:21 PM) andygunn: As long as outdoor rated Ethernet cable is used as
well, most installs are fairly weatherproof
(12:54:46 PM) andygunn: In fact, additional weatherproofing (such as mastic
or caulk) can cause issues with water ingress
(12:56:07 PM) andygunn: One caveat: Ubiquiti Bullet equipment may require
additional weatherproofing
(12:56:07 PM) tunabananas1: good to know! i will share with the 510pen team
(12:56:17 PM) andygunn: depending on the antenna they are attached to
(12:56:27 PM) andygunn: the N-type connector isn't 100% waterproof
(12:56:35 PM) andygunn: Though it is pretty good
(12:57:31 PM) andygunn: Sure. Who is the 510pen team?
(12:57:52 PM) andygunn: You can put them in contact with me directly if you
want
(12:58:50 PM) tunabananas1: 510pen is an East Bay (SFBay) mesh network
project that began in 2009
(12:59:04 PM) andygunn: Cool, good to know.
(12:59:26 PM) tunabananas1: but they didn't secure funding and kinda
stalled in 2011
(12:59:50 PM) andygunn: Word. That would be a problem.
(01:00:14 PM) tunabananas1: since i started interning with oti/tidepools
i've been helping to resuscitate it, so i'm doing a lot of the comms /
project management - personally less on the technical side of things
(01:00:47 PM) tunabananas1: https://510pen.org &&
http://sudoroom.org/wiki/Mesh
(01:01:30 PM) tunabananas1: ah, i see legind is in here. he's part of the
crew. o/
(01:02:00 PM) andygunn: I will check out those sites. Glad to hear there is
a "new" network in the works!
(01:02:33 PM) tunabananas1: yeah! mesh the planet!
(01:03:52 PM) tunabananas1: and thanks for your advice. there's definitely
interest in working with the commotion
(01:03:54 PM) tunabananas1: firmware*
(01:04:13 PM) andygunn: Excellent. Folks should hop on the Commotion Dev
list if they have questions about implementation
(01:04:27 PM) andygunn: Do you need the link?
(01:06:05 PM) tunabananas1:
https://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/commotion-dev cc legind
(01:06:20 PM) andygunn: Yep, that's it.
(01:06:23 PM) andygunn: Thanks!
(01:07:34 PM) tunabananas1: so we are planning to do some rooftop testing
soon before the weather gets too nice
(01:08:08 PM) tunabananas1: but in crappy conditions what's the range of a
directional ubiquiti antenna
(01:08:09 PM) tunabananas1: ?
(01:08:38 PM) tunabananas1: based on your experience...
(01:08:39 PM) andygunn: Depends on the Antenna
(01:08:51 PM) tunabananas1: DotA
(01:08:58 PM) grady: lol
(01:09:09 PM) andygunn: If you are using a NanoStation M2, about a mile
(01:09:16 PM) andygunn: also depends on interference
(01:09:21 PM) grady: I've found the range on picos goes way down in bad
weather
(01:09:37 PM) andygunn: Yes, omnidirectional units have much less range
(01:09:44 PM) andygunn: about 1000 feet outdoors in clear weather
(01:09:57 PM) andygunn: Also, pure RF range is deceptive
(01:10:11 PM) andygunn: Since low signal may be fine if there is no
interference
(01:10:20 PM) andygunn: but in the presence of interference, your link
quality will go in the crapper
(01:10:32 PM) hawkinsw-laptop: is anyone on a college campus that can help
me with access to jstor?
(01:10:52 PM) andygunn: So for critical links over a long distance, I
recommend using 5GHz equipment
(01:11:05 PM) andygunn: It can bridge to the mesh via Ethernet
(01:11:14 PM) andygunn: With some extra configuration
(01:12:05 PM) andygunn: There is also a question of TCP ack round-trip time
with long links, that I'm not sure is implemented in mesh firmware yet
(01:12:14 PM) andygunn: I was going to start a thread on Commotion Dev
about it
(01:14:29 PM) areynold: I can almost guarantee that Ben is going to be your
best bet in getting that question answered
(01:14:55 PM) tunabananas1: what would the distance range be on 5ghz
equipment?
(01:15:04 PM) andygunn: DotA
(01:15:08 PM) tunabananas1: lol
(01:15:24 PM) andygunn: But for a NanoStation, again a mile or so, maybe
further
(01:15:39 PM) andygunn: If you have very long links there are various
dishes that are made for longer distances
(01:16:08 PM) andygunn: http://www.ubnt.com/airmax#nanobridgem
(01:16:14 PM) andygunn: http://www.ubnt.com/airmax#airgrid
(01:16:31 PM) andygunn: These and other pieces of equipment are more geared
towards point-to-point setups
(01:16:50 PM) andygunn: Or for receiving a more powerful signal from
further away, such as in a "cell tower" style install
(01:16:59 PM) andygunn: Also called Point-to-Multipoint
(01:19:41 PM) grady: I sat in on a two-hour long lecture on setting up
ubiquiti networks at the CTS in Tunis
(01:19:56 PM) grady: I can dig up the notes and send them to you tunabananas
(01:20:17 PM) tunabananas1: that'd be great, grady, thanks! i'm
jenny(a)thepyre.org
(01:20:50 PM) andygunn: Grady - please share that with the field and tech
teams as well
(01:21:03 PM) grady: sure no problem
(01:21:07 PM) andygunn: Thanks
(01:21:30 PM) grady: also, I know a distributor that gives pretty sweet
discounts to non-profits
(01:22:46 PM) andygunn: Distributor of what? Wireless equipment?
(01:22:57 PM) grady: yeah, mostly ubiquiti
(01:23:13 PM) andygunn: Which vendor?
(01:23:20 PM) grady: streakwave
(01:23:39 PM) andygunn: Yea, we don't have an account with them yet, but
probably should
(01:23:48 PM) tunabananas1: haha, wasn't going to mention it but yeah,
equipment is pricey. we're thinking of applying for openitp funding. we're
not a nonprofit, just an amorphous grassroots group atm.
(01:24:46 PM) andygunn: Yep - some of the equipment is pricey, but you
should see the prices for proprietary mesh equipment
(01:25:21 PM) andygunn: It's hilarious:
https://www.tessco.com/products/displayHierarchySkus.do?groupId=595&subgrou…
Hi, who's coming to the mesh meetup?
I'm gonna drop by 5mof on my way back to the east bay, but assuming some
folks will be around, i'll head to sudoroom w/ a dual-band mesh router that
we can install there (or just take apart if we prefer :)
--mark B.
We can swing by later in a car to transport them, but unmounting at night
might be difficult..
On Feb 21, 2013 6:14 PM, "Jenny Ryan" <jenny(a)thepyre.org> wrote:
> We can swing by later in a car to transport them, but unmounting at night
> might be difficult..
> On Feb 21, 2013 4:36 PM, "Miguel Vargas" <unroar(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Let me know if anybody can come by my place any time before the meeting
>> and help me with unmounting and transporting the 3 satellite dishes. I'm
>> about a mile from sudoroom near Fairyland.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 11:42 AM, Marc Juul <marcjc(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 3:16 AM, Miguel Vargas <unroar(a)gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > Yea, I am going to need help getting them over there. They need to be
>>> > unmounted from their current locations and it will be a lot of stuff to
>>> > carry. I'm only about a mile from sudoroom and I'm generally available,
>>> > let's try to coordinate this week.
>>>
>>> Sounds good.
>>>
>>> > The usb stick seems like a good simple solution. We could start
>>> looking at
>>> > other designs if we end up needing more performance.
>>>
>>> Yeah. Let's try usb sticks first. Jake suggested that we should try to
>>> test the setup during rain / fog, since water blocks 2.4 ghz. So we
>>> should get this set up as soon as possible (before it stops raining)
>>> or we may get into a situation where we spend the summer setting up
>>> rooftop connections, only to have them all fail when it starts raining
>>> again.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Marc
>>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> mesh mailing list
>> mesh(a)lists.sudoroom.org
>> http://lists.sudoroom.org/listinfo/mesh
>>
>>
