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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 01/30/2015 12:55 PM, Pete Hardie
wrote:<br>
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<blockquote
cite="mid:CAMdBqcOX2h9NXVB9bzUEwB5HApXRAOHKeYsGC1+C=U-te-Azbw@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">I always wonder if a mesh network via home wifi could
work for email/messaging traffic, although it does not solve for
web access or data download/streaming</blockquote>
A medium-bandwidth mesh network with many nodes would work just fine
for getting away from the current corporate-and-government dominated
model of the current Internet.<br>
<br>
We have the technology to do it today. All you need is a small
weatherproof enclosure, a method for harnessing solar and/or wind
power (or come up with more interesting solutions... we're talking
tiny hardware with tiny power requirements, and it might even be
possible to derive enough useful power from the surrounding RF
environment in some cases, such as when within a mile or two of a
high-powered radio or TV transmitter), and the ability to
communicate with the nodes within reach of it. Only a small
percentage of the nodes in the mesh need WiFi capability—or
Bluetooth, or some other thing. The mesh would be a very low power
network where nodes could literally be tossed in the grass. Make it
just heavy enough that it won't get eaten by the lawnmower, robust
enough to be stepped on or kicked, and have a hand-held tool
(perhaps an app on a smartphone with a Bluetooth device that can
look for the mesh nodes) for finding nodes and repairing breaks in
the mesh.<br>
<br>
One could go all <i>Twister</i> and deploy the network off of the
back of a pickup truck...<br>
<br>
Alas, it's just a good idea. I have no funding with which to do it.<br>
<br>
— Mike<br>
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