My question for you is "why"? 100 users are enough to be a headache and use up all your free time but not enough to even pay you for your time or investment. Are you going to do email, DNS and authentication? Are you going to do DHCP? If not who/what is? Are you worried about calea? On average a single T1 should probably do it. If I was going to start up something small scale, I think I might try the NanoStation from Ubiquity Networks or some Linksys routers with external antennas or M'tik. I don't know why you want to bother with mesh if your customers are not mobile. Linksys could be your DHCP server and you could backhaul with NanoStations to a switch connected to a DSL line. But the DSL provider will most likely have an AUP that speaks to you reselling. Are you planning to get a dedicated T1 and a C block and get square with ARIN etc etc. Tons of things to consider and I am not even a NOC guy. Sounds like lots of pain and no pleasure.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Japhy Bartlett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2008 5:44 PM Subject: [WISPA] Feasibility of a "non-profit" WISP > Hi all- > > I'm finishing up a grant proposal to build a wireless network for a > smallish (2 sq. mile) neighborhood. My only real experience is having > read this mailing list for a year or so, and independently researching > via the internet, so I'm hoping some of you veterans can offer some > insight before I get in too deep! > > The basic, mile-high premise is to build a 2.4ghz mesh network, using > Linux, or at least Open Source Software, wherever possible. I'm > pretty comfy with Linux, and it seems like the route a non-profit > should take. > > Since the idea is to be providing access not only to locals, but also > to people visiting (it's a mixed commercial/residential area), > sticking to the 802.11b/g protocol seems like a good way to make sure > strangers can get on with whatever gear they've already got. > > Specifically, I'm looking at gear that would run olsrd > (http://olsr.org); more specifically, demarctech.com's RWR HPG units > (https://www.demarctech.com/products/reliawave-rwr/rwr-hpg-15a.htm). > > The "business" model is to offer capped speeds for free, and uncapped > speeds to subscribers. So, presumably I'm going to need to do some > traffic shaping. > > the RWR unit lists both "OLSRD Mesh" and "Bi-Directional Traffic > Shaping with QoS (VoIP) via IP or MAC" , so it would seem to be ideal! > But how do those features play together? Can I assume that the unit > is running some sort of *nix with a shell? More importantly, am I > going to be able to script something that will link the traffic shaper > with a database of MAC Addresses? (Or script something to assign IP > address subgroups based on MAC!) > > Anybody ever done this before, or have a better solution for a tiered > network? > > I'm estimating that we'll have 100 users tops. A while back I looked > up ratios and figured that a T1 would probably be enough bandwidth for > something that size, but what else do I need in my NOC? Can I get by > with a Linux box, or do I need a heavy-duty router? > > I suppose a lot of this is best answered by the vendor, but it's nice > to hear from someone who isn't simultaneously trying to sell you > something. Any criticisms/anecdotes/advice are greatly appreciated! > Who's going to sue me and for what?! > > Cheers, > > Japhy > > Benton Harbor, MI > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
