Open Source and Free Software

shcrane71

(1,721 posts) Sun Mar 18, 2012, 05:16 PM Mar 2012

Does anyone here have a mesh network in their community?

If one got one of these networks working in a community, would that mean that people on the networks would no longer need to pay an ISP for connectivity?

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Does anyone here have a mesh network in their community? (Original Post) shcrane71 Mar 2012 OP

You'd still want a hook-up somewhere... Dead_Parrot Mar 2012 #1

I read an article in, I believe, Scientific American that stated shcrane71 Mar 2012 #2

Dead_Parrot

(14,478 posts)

1. You'd still want a hook-up somewhere...

Reply to shcrane71 (Original post)

Sun Mar 18, 2012, 06:03 PM

Mar 2012

...unless they only wanted to talk to each other. But you can get a decent connection and spread the cost among a few dozen people.

I'd caution that meshes can be a little on the slow side - so depending on the number of people, what they want to do and and how spread out they are, you might do better with a bridged solution.

shcrane71

(1,721 posts)

2. I read an article in, I believe, Scientific American that stated

Reply to shcrane71 (Original post)

Mon Mar 19, 2012, 01:01 PM

Mar 2012

that mesh networks could prevent a top-down black out as happened in Egypt. But it seems, one would still need to go to one of the few large ISPs for a T1, T3?? line?

Theoretically, is it possible for separate networks to talk to each other? In other words, could these networks become so large as to connect people from different cities? I have a very rudimentary understanding of networking. My apologies if these are dumb questions.

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