[GRLUG] Implementing an actual wireless community network

[Tim Schmidt]

On 1/9/06, adderd at kkmfg.com <adderd at kkmfg.com> wrote:
> What I wonder is could you instead use WRT54G Linksys routers w/ custom
> firmware? There's no funny business w/ needing two routers or special
> cables or anything. Some of the custom firmware's for the WRT54G support
> the creation of wireless mesh networks. Would this be compatible with what
> you are talking about?

For the most part, yes you could.  The WGT634U's use Atheros wireless
chipsets which have some advanced features (which _are_ supported by
the opensource madwifi drivers) that claim to ramp up the speed to
108Mbps, and in a direct 634U to 634U connection I have little reason
to doubt that figure.  So the WRT54G's wouldn't work with that, but
that's no big deal...

The nice thing about the WRT634U's is that they're about half the
price of a WRT54G, they have as much RAM and flash as a WRT54GS (twice
a normal 54G) and they have a USB-2 host port and mini-pci slot.  So
they're as expandable as most laptops...  You could attach an extra
couple gigs of storage, or a sound card, or whatever.  Of course, that
has little bearing on a wireless mesh network, but it's neat.

Another advantage of the 634U is that MIT has already done most of the
work on the firmware.  They have functioning mesh networks running
with 634Us as nodes and all their work is available on-line (linked to
from my page).

--tim