Such projects started to evolve in 1998 with the availability of 802.11 equipment, and are gradually spreading to cities and towns around the world. In mid-2002 most such networks have been still embryonic, with small groups of people experimenting and gradually interconnecting with each other and thus expanding the domain and utility of the networks. As of mid-2005, wireless community networks have become increasingly popular and exist throughout many cities. Such networks have a distributed rather than a tree-like topography and have the potential to replace the congested and vulnerable backbones of the wired internet in most places.
These projects are in many senses an evolution of Amateur Radio and, more specifically Packet Radio , as well as an outgrowth of the Free Software community (which in itself substantially overlaps with amateur radio), and share their freewheeling, experimental, adaptable culture. The key to using standard wireless networking devices designed for short-range use for multi-kilometre linkups is the use of high-gain Antennas . Commercially-available examples are relatively expensive and not that readily available, so much experimentation has gone into homebuilt antenna construction. One striking design is the Cantenna , which performs better than many commercial antenna designs and is constructed from a steel food can.
Most wireless community network projects are coordinated by citywide user groups who freely share information and help using the Internet. They often spring up as a Grassroots Movement offering free, anonymous Internet access to anyone with WiFi capability.
Some wireless community network projects are:
- Downtown Wi-Fi Zone, — http://www.ci.tucson.az.us/hottopics/downtownwifi.html
- City Heights Wireless Network, — http://www.sdfutures.org/services/specialprojects.htm
- FREE WiFi Downtown — http://www.sanjose.org/wifi/
- Hayward Downtown Wi-Fi Hot Spot, — http://www.ci.hayward.ca.us/about/cohwifi.shtm
- Alameda Wireless, — http://alamedawireless.org
- SoCalFreeNet, — http://www.socalfreenet.org
- NoCatNet , , http://nocat.net/
- Newbury Open, , http://www.newburyopen.net/
- DetroitCONNECTED, — http://www.detroitconnected.org/
- Detroit Wireless Project, — http://www.dwp.org/
- NYCwireless , , http://nycwireless.net/
- Public Internet Project, , http://publicinternetproject.org/
- Atlanta FreeNet, — http://www.atlantafreenet.org
- Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network , — http://www.cuwireless.net/
- BARWN, , http://www.barwn.org/
- BAWIA, Area Wireless Internet Alliance, http://bawia.org/
- BAWUG, — http://www.bawug.org/
- Dowza Directory & Community, Global — Free & Provider Listings — http://www.dowza.com/
- GuerillaNet — http://205.159.169.11/
- Hillsdale CoolCities, — http://www.hillsdalecoolcities.net
- Wireless Community Networks , — http://wcn.cnt.org/
- Lawrence Freenet Community Network, — http://www.lawrencefreenet.org/
- La Canada Wireless Association, — http://www.lcwireless.net/
- PDX Wireless , — http://www.pdxwireless.org/
- Personal Telco , — http://www.personaltelco.net/ (wiki)
- Seattle Wireless — http://www.seattlewireless.net/ (wiki)
- SFLAN, San Francisco — http://www.sflan.org/
- Wireless Philadelphia, — http://www.phila.gov/wireless/
- Austin Wireless, — http://austinwireless.net
See also http://www.sfwireless.net, which lists free wireless networks in the San Francisco area. http://www.muniwireless.com/ advocates citywide wireless projects.
- British Columbia Wireless Network Society , British Columbia , Canada — http://www.bcwireless.net
- Île Sans Fil , Montreal , Quebec , Canada , http://www.ilesansfil.org/
- Wireless Toronto — http://www.wirelesstoronto.ca
- Toronto Wireless Community Network — http://www.esoterraka.com/twcn/
- Laval Sans Fil , Laval, Quebec, Canada — http://lavalsansfil.org
- Wireless Nomad , Ontario and Toronto , Canada — http://wirelessnomad.com/
- Fred-eZone , Fredericton , New Brunswick , Canada — http://www.fred-ezone.ca/
- ''BuenosAiresLibre'', Buenos Aires — http://www.buenosaireslibre.org
- ''Mendoza Wireless'', Mendoza — http://www.mendozawireless.net.ar
- ''OesteLibre'', Buenos Aires Oeste — http://www.oestelibre.com.ar
- ''Proyecto Fernets'', Córdoba — http://www.fernets.org.ar
- ''Wi-Fi Brasil'', São Paulo — http://eclipse.ime.usp.br/wiki/index.php/Brasil_Sem_Fio
- ''MontevideoLibre'', Montevideo — http://www.montevideolibre.org
- ''LuqueWireless'', Luque — http://www.luquewireless.net
- ''WirelessPY'', Asuncion — http://www.wirelesspy.org
- ''Funkfeuer'', Vienna — http://www.funkfeuer.at
- ''ReseauCitoyen'', Brussels — http://www.reseaucitoyen.be/wiki
- ''wireless.ba'', United wireless communities in Bosnia — http://www.wireless.ba
- ''saWireless'', Sarajevo — http://sa.wireless.ba
- ''Viwa net'', Visoko — http://vi.wireless.ba
- ''BLwireless'', Banjaluka — http://www.blwireless.net
- ''mo-wireless'', Mostar — http://mo.wireless.ba
- ''LPwireless'', LP — http://www.lpwireless.net
- ''CZFree.Net'', Czech Republic — http://www.czfree.net/
- ''RiWireless'', Rijeka — http://www.riwireless.net/
- ''WirelessKZ'', Krizevci — http://www.wirelesskz.net/
- ''ZGWireless'', Zagreb — http://www.zgwireless.net/
- ''Međimurje Wireless'', Čakovec — http://www.mwireless.hr/
- ''Extreme Wireless'', Varaždin — http://www.extremewifi.info/
- ''OSWireless'', Osijek — http://www.webart.hr/oswireless
- ''OpenSpark'' — https://open.sparknet.fi/
- ''Ozone'' — http://www.ozone.net/en/
- ''Fédération France Wireless'' — http://www.wireless-fr.org/
- ''Wifi Montauban'', France — http://www.wifi-montauban.net/
- ''Lille sans fil'' — http://lillesansfil.org/
- ''Toulouse Sans Fil'', Wifi Toulouse — http://www.toulouse-sans-fil.net/
More complete list on The France Wireless website — http://www.wireless-fr.org
- ''List of french community'', — http://www.wireless-fr.org/spip/article.php3?id_article=8
- ''Freifunk.net'', Berlin a.o., Germany — http://www.freifunk.net/
- ''Freifunk-Ruhrstadt.de'', Zone of the Ruhrstadt, Germany — http://www.freifunk-ruhrstadt.de/
- ''OpenNet Initiative'', Rostock, Germany — http://www.opennet-initiative.de/
- ''mobileaccess'', HotSpots and wireless communities in Germany — http://mobileaccess.de/wlan/
- ''Hungarian Wireless Community'', Budapest — http://www.huwico.hu/
- ''WestNet'', Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick — http://www.westnet.ie/
- '' IrishWAN '', All-Ireland community radio project — http://www.irishwan.com
- ''Premier Community Broadband''Tipperary,Kilkenny — http://www.premierbroadband.net
- ''Ninux.org'', Rome, IT — http://www.ninux.org/
- ''BG Wireless'', Belgrade — http://www.bgwireless.net
- ''NS Wireless'', Novi Sad — http://www.nswireless.org
- ''dvb Login'', Novi Sad — http://srt021.ns.ac.yu
- ''Uzice bez zice, wireless community'', Uzice — http://wireless.uzice.net
- ''MCN Wireless'', Kraljevo — http://www.kvwifi.co.sr
- ''Lozničani Community'', Loznica — http://site.loznica.net
- ''SKFree.Net'', Slovakia — http://www.skfree.net/
- ''MadridWireless'', Madrid, Spain — http://madridwireless.net/
- RedLibre , Spain — http://www.redlibre.net/
- ''TorreviejaWireless'', Torrevieja, Spain — http://www.torreviejawireless.org/
- ''Guifi.Net'', Catalonia , Spain — http://www.guifi.net/
- ''Mataró Sensefils'', Mataró, Catalonia , Spain — http://www.matarosensefils.net/
- ''Elektrosmog'', Stockholm — http://elektrosmog.nu/
- ''www.openwireless.ch'', Bern — http://www.openwireless.ch/
- Neoeon , , UK — http://www.neoeon.com/
- piertopier.net, , UK — http://www.piertopier.net/
- Bristol Wireless , , UK — http://www.bristolwireless.net/
- Cambridge Matrix , , UK — http://www.cambridgematrix.co.uk/
- Arwain.net, , UK — http://www.arwain.net/
- South Witham Broadband , , UK — http://wireless.southwitham.net/
- Wireless wirelan, , UK — http://www.wirelesswirelan.co.uk/
- Consume The Net , , UK — http://consume.net/
- Lancaster Mesh , , UK — http://www.lancastermesh.co.uk/
- Manchester Wireless , , UK — http://www.manchesterwireless.net/
- TottonWireless.net, , UK — http://tottonwireless.net/
- Boundless, Deptford , , UK — http://boundless.coop/
- WLAN ORG UK, original ww promoting site — http://www.wlan.org.uk/
See also:
- ''Air-Stream'', Adelaide — http://www.air-stream.org
- ''Southern-WiFi'', Southern Adelaide — http://www.southernwifi.net
- ''Ballarat Wireless'' — http://www.ballaratwireless.net
- ''Bendigo Wireless'' — http://www.bendigowireless.net
- Melbourne Wireless — http://www.melbournewireless.org.au
- ''Geelong Wireless'' — http://geelong.wireless.org.au — Offline.
- ''Lara Wireless'' — http://larawireless.net/
- ''Bathurst Wireless'', http://www.bathurstwireless.org
- ''Sydney Wireless'', Sydney — http://www.sydneywireless.com
- ''Darling Downs Wireless'', Toowoomba — http://ddwireless.net
- ''Brismesh'' — Brisbane — http://www.brismesh.org
- ''Cairns Wireless'' — http://cairns.wireless.org.au
- ''Air.Net Canberra'' — http://www.air.net.au
- ''WAFreeNet'', Perth — http://www.wafreenet.org
- ''E3'', Perth — http://www.e3.com.au/
- ''The Mesh'', Darwin — http://the-mesh.org
- ''Darwin Wireless'', Darwin — http://www.darwinwireless.com
- ''NZWireless'', New Zealand — http://www.nzwireless.org
- ''New Zealand Wireless'' — http://nz.wireless.org.au
- ''Yobbo Wireless Community'' — http://wireless.yobbo.co.nz
- ''Wireless Ghana'' — http://www.wirelessghana.com/
- ''Community Owned Information Network'', South Africa — Wireless Africa Wiki COIN Blog
- Durban, South Africa. Durban Wireless Community — http://www.dwc.za.net
- ''Pretoria Wireless Project'' — http://www.pwp.za.net
- ''Johannesburg Area Wireless User Group'' — http://www.jawug.za.net
- Cape Town Wireless User Group — http://www.ctwug.za.net
- Cambridge Matrix , Open Standards mesh for community wireless services.
- Trees are the Enemy , Blog by community wireless activists.
- The HotSpot Haven , Find Hotspots To Connect To All Over The World!
- FreeNetworks.org , a project attempting to bring together diverse community projects from all over the world
- RedLibre , a FreeNetworks like project in Spain
- Matt Westervelt's FreeNetworks Blog
- Personal Telco 's list of Wireless Communities at {Link without Title}
- Building a Wireless Community Network
- The Cloud Report 50+ City Clouds
- Sam Churchill's DailyWireless Blog
- Sam Churchill's Wireless LAN Revolution
- The National Summit for Community Wireless Networks
- Wireless Community Blog
- Airshare.org — Community Wireless Resource for Newbies and Experts
- Wireless Warrior — WiFi information resource for WLAN admins and advanced wardrivers
- WiFiMaps.com — Interactive maps of Wi-Fi installations and coverage
- Community Networks User Groups Links — Mainly South African
- {Link without Title} — Johannesburg Area Wireless Usergroup
- The State of Wireless London — from informal
- Do-It-Yourself Wireless Antenna Update Looking for inexpensive ways to increase the range of your wireless network? That and much more.
- Trevor Marshall: Slotted Waveguide Antennas, Biquad Antenna/Primestar feed and NEC2 Antenna Simulators
- The OPLAN Foundation — an independent, non-political and non-profit organisation, seeks to build greater awareness and understanding of the social and economic benefits that OPLANs (open public local access networks) can deliver
- WiND - Wireless Nodes Database an open-source project targeted at wireless community networks. WiND can display node information, map nodes and wireless links, manage ip addresses and dns zones, and much more.
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