Hi John- Actually some busses have gone the route you describe. Here's one in San Francisco: http://thecityfix.com/the-wireless-on-the-bus-makes-the-wheels-go-round- and-round/ and a bus line in Singapore does it as well, for examples.
But back to my notion of outside-in coverage... If you think about the classic activity of war-driving, you're typically trying to find wireless networks from within a vehicle, which is largely a rolling Faraday cage- just like a bus. I have external antennas, but rarely bother with them during my often very successful, shall we say, "explorations" in this area. So perhaps another somewhat simplistic way of looking at the idea of outside-in coverage for rolling busses is that you're setting up a really good war-driving target for passengers (as casual users) to be able to "find" and use. Seems like even a less-than-optimal WiFi "corridor" along a 30 MPH or less bus route *may* provide throughputs as good as a cellular-based access point that's at one end of a bus full of signal-attenuating people. Maybe. Not really trying to prove a point- just free wheelin' here:) -Lee Lee H. Badman Wireless/Network Engineer Information Technology and Services Syracuse University 315 443-3003 -----Original Message----- From: The EDUCAUSE Wireless Issues Constituent Group Listserv [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jonn Martell Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 7:01 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [WIRELESS-LAN] Wireless coverage for bus riders Hi Lee, I would not even dare to do it with WLAN if the plan is to get connectivity to a moving bus from outside the bus. If the goal is to get users connectivity in a non-moving bus, not sure how significant that would be for users (how long do buses stay stationary?). To make it of real use, I would use licensed stuff (3G and 4G) to the moving bus and have an AP inside the bus for end-user connectivity. Not sure why the transportation and transit systems haven't gone that route (no pun intended!). ... Jonn Martell, [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.martell.ca On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 12:26 PM, Lee H Badman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > In the name of "what if", wondering if any school has installed > infrastructure specifically intended to provide WLAN to bus riders on > campus? I'm talking strictly outside-in coverage, no radio magic on the bus > itself. If so, how's it working for you and just as important, do you get > the sense that anyone appreciates it? > > > > Regards- > > > > Lee > > > > Lee H. Badman > > Wireless/Network Engineer > > Information Technology and Services > > Syracuse University > > 315 443-3003 > > > > ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE > Constituent Group discussion list can be found at > http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/. ********** Participation and subscription information for this EDUCAUSE Constituent Group discussion list can be found at http://www.educause.edu/groups/.
