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[ Second Test Results (Pics!)] - September 19, 2006

The Story of Chebucto Wireless

Overview

The Chebucto Community Net Wifi Project aims to create a new kind of high speed network access for the community, hosted by the community itself.

The general public would be able to connect to this wireless network and access the websites of Halifax Region information resources and business websites as well as N.S. Provincial and Federal government websites for no charge.

Access to the full Internet over this high speed wireless service would be a benefit of a Chebucto Plus level membership in the Chebucto Community Net, currently $100 per year.

A Chebucto wireless high speed network connection is distributed from a central Access Point to a series of nodes. Each node can support many individual users.

These nodes in turn connect up to each other to form a Mesh Network. This mesh network can distribute the Internet connection outside of the radio footprint of the Access Point.

Access Point

An Access Point is a radio transmitter connected to the Internet through the Chebucto Community Net. Chebucto's first Access Point is on the top of Fenwick Place in Halifax's South End and face North.

This site was chosen because of its convenient location and available network access. Chebucto has run an internet access web camera from the top of the skyscraper, the highest point in Halifax, since 2000.

The North view faces a high density low-rise residential area, perfect for clear reception.

Nodes

Nodes will be the backbone of the mesh network. A node is a modified personal computer with a radio aerial attached. It is designed to be low maintenance. The node host would plug it in and put the aerial in the window and leave it alone.

Nodes would not be connected to any other source of Internet connectivity.

Node design is still in development at this time. Hardware specifications are expected to be a personal computer with CPU speed of 500 MHz or better, minimum 64 MB RAM, available PCI slots, USB 2.0 a plus. Hard drive and Operating Systems are not necessary.

Since nodes are so critical to the viability of the mesh networking concept, hosting a node is a special honour and responsibility. Chebucto recognizes this through a vastly reduced rate for Node Host network access. Current thinking is this would be $50 per year. There would be a deposit for the node hardware, likely $150, refundable upon return.

Developing a community of node hosts will enable the people of the Halifax area to have, for the first time, the power to bring high speed information access to everyone in the community.

Public Access

Any computer with an available PCI slot or USB port is able to use wifi technology. Computers without wifi technology can be upgraded with a USB device for about $30. This cost can be expected to drop over time. Newer computers, particularly portables, have wifi access built-in.

Node hosting

Ideally a node host will be someone who either owns their property or is in a stable long term rental situation. Nodes need to either be in the radio footprint of the Access Point or within a half block of another node and be on the ground or second floor. In high rises, a node every two to three floors should provide vertical coverage. Radio range of nodes can be expected to vary from location to location.

Our expected footprint from our first Access Point is a square from Clyde Street, just south of Spring Garden Road to Queen Street down to Morris Street and South Park. We estimate two to three nodes per block should be able to provide coverage for an entire block of low rise structures and the facing part of surrounding blocks.

Future Access Points can be directed towards clusters of node hosts. If you are interested in being part of this historic endeavour, please fill out the form below. If enough of you and your neighbours are in on this, we can see about getting connectivity to you.

The information on this form is sent to us over a secure encrypted connection.

Results of first testing

Results of second testing

How to contact us

 

 

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