Mesh/13 June 2013

Wepay campaign: at 2/3ds. $1293. We have 100 mesh routers! https://www.wepay.com/donations/oakland-community-mesh-network

Goals of the mesh project

• off the grid communication,
• create an alternate way to communicate. more controlled by the people
• a way for disadvantage people to get internet access
• sustainable business model
• share internet connections. everybody has to buy their own internet connection
• usable phone service.
• why are you paying comcast?
• load balancing
• access to the internet
• .oakland domain name (or .sudo?)
• replacing the internet, not controlled by the powers
• encryption by default
• low-bandwidth free internet

Name

• sudonet mesh
• sudomesh
  • confusion with the word psuedo
• 510pen
• optomesh ??

Organization

• nonprofit 501c3
  • paperwork
  • lots of tax forms
• umbrella under noisebridge
• nonprofit isp run by volunteers
• 501c4 same benefits as 501c3
• "social welfare" organization
  • still get donor tax deduction
  • orgs might have bias against them
• coops
  • can’t get tax deductible donations
• nonprofit where donating can get you on the board
  • we need to talk to lawyers

Business models

• cost
  • buying routers
  • people adopt routers
  • people buy routers
• couple of full time real employees
  • mounting routers/antennae
  • managing of network
• bandwidth
• electricity
• advertising on splash page
• name the wifi network as the web address
• sell service to business districts
• digital bulletin boards
• skill share board
• begging for cash model
  • OLPC model: people pay 2x for themselves and someone else
• ISPs ToS don’t allow you to share bandwidth
  • get local ISPs to contribute
  • monkeybrains?
  • competing with Unwired, and their radio frequency
• legal advisers???

Metaplanning for node deployment

• get in touch with people that have mesh network experience
• get familiar
• look at google earth for 3d building structures
• ham license
  • study cram sessions
  • get in touch with that community
• aprs network by ham radio operators
• weather
• packet radio
• allows you to mount masts
• allows you to amplify wifi
• fog/rain?
• aprs.fi

Mesh protocol Openwrt

• cjdns
  • new
  • runs as a program
  • scales ?
  • encrypted by default (end-to-end)
• untested
• batman-adv
  • lower level
  • efficient multicast
  • no encryption
• olsr
  • older, stable
  • runs as a program
  • runs on a lot of devices
  • more tested
  • 2000-3000 node network
  • every node can be part of the mesh
  • windows, android, linux
• babel
  • really easy??
• Create an image that you can flash on all routers, two options:
  • script after boot
  • web page that generates a custom compile
• Get people with experience to come talk to us

Plan for testing received hardware and inventory management

• 100 routers
• mostly ubiquiti picostations
• tagging
  • barcodes
• put it in a spreasheet
• etch them
• test them all

Plan for getting the local community involved and finding people willing to adopt a node

• highschools and college students
• Community watch
  • neighborhood surveillance
• generalized outreach: cafe bulletin boards, libraries, churches?

Action items

• Form sub groups: Community outreach, network management, development.
• Next week: Testing, tagging, and logging the routers that arrive Monday
• Reach out to experienced folks to come talk with us
• Talk with lawyers!

Neighborhood choice

• San Antonio neighborhood
  • we have some good partners in the community
    • LOLspace/Bikery
  • none of us live there
  • maybe harder to do troubleshooting/outreach
• West Oakland neighborhood
  • Lots of us live there - many collectives and coops