Wirless internet access in Maplewood

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Author Message   AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 137 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 10:36 am:        I'd like to hear some opinions about bringing wireless Internet access to Maplewood's village area and perhaps Memorial Park. Wireless Internet access would mean that people with a laptop and wireless network card, which anyone can get for under $100 at a CompUSA, would be able to get on the Internet. This would also work with wireless PDAs like the new Palm Tungsten. The Internet access would be available for a fee, probably less the $20/month.   lseltzer Citizen Username: Lseltzer Post Number: 1634 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 10:45 am:        I'd like to hear who's going to fund this money-losing proposition.   AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 138 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 11:39 am:        Well, that's the point. It would not be a money losing proposition, nor would it only be for Maplewood. There are select towns that we want to target with this solution. It would only be a business model that can be profitable within a short period of time. It's a dot bomb venture funded eandeavor.   Dave Ross Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 4844 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 12:54 pm:        Wireless will be integrated into cell phones before you can make any money.   AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 139 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 1:08 pm:        Dave, it already is...and it's horrible. The cellular wireless companies have had data offerings for a long time and they never amounted to anything useable. Even Sprint PCS is claiming over 100K of data througput. I've never gotten more then 30K, if that. It will be a long time time before they invest in real high speed technology. This model would be using Wifi hotspots.   algebra2 Citizen Username: Algebra2 Post Number: 1091 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 1:31 pm:        Why do we want people using lap tops in Memorial Park? Why do we want people surfing the web on their cell phones in Memorial Park? Is this really what people want??   Dave Ross Supporter Username: Dave Post Number: 4845 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 1:46 pm:        Beats sitting inside working on a nice day.   algebra2 Citizen Username: Algebra2 Post Number: 1092 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 1:47 pm:        That's true Dave ... I never thought of that!   lseltzer Citizen Username: Lseltzer Post Number: 1636 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 2:01 pm:        AZ's right about cell phones. Nobody can do any real work on those silly overpriced things. You do realize that setting up a regional service such as you are describing would require an effective wireless network. So either you use the existing cell network, and we know that's not reliable in large chunks of Maplewood, or you post Wi-Fi antennas throughout the area. Do you still think this could possibly make money? In cities where there are dense concentrations of potential users for these things they lose money.   newjerz Citizen Username: Newjerz Post Number: 19 Registered: 5-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 2:06 pm:        I can't wait till a t-baller hits a baseball through someone's laptop.   AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 140 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 2:28 pm:        Lseltzer, we would be using commercial wi-fi antennas. Since Wi-Fi is basically a wireless LAN technology it's not designed to go long distances so from a cost perspective we would be using higher end equipment. Theoretecally, this type of a deployment would be to a very targeted area such as the village or the park. It doesn't scale well when applied to a large area. So it's not even a regional solution, it's more like a very local solution. There are wireless ISPs like towerstream.com but they use a fixed wireless techonology that uses proprietary equipment. I'd like to use the standard wi-fi stuff that everyone can get cheap.   AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 141 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 2:31 pm:        Just thought of something that seemingly should be very obvious...what happens in the winter??? I can't see people firing up their laptops in the snow   C Bataille Citizen Username: Nakaille Post Number: 1480 Registered: 5-2001 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 2:40 pm:        Did you folks see the article in the NYT mag yesterday on the ease of stealing info via wireless? They call it Walk-By Hacking. Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/13/magazine/13HACKING.html Better make sure your firewalls and encryption software are up and running or someone else is going to be up and running on your ID! What I found amazing, and frightening, was the distance at which they could pick up the data. Like on the second floor of a building they were outside of?! Cathy aka Bacata/Nakaille   Robert Little Citizen Username: Boblittle Post Number: 7 Registered: 4-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 3:07 pm:        I've got a hardwire T-1 servicing a small wireless network in my Village office but can see the appeal. I could set up a satellite branch with a laptop over at St. James's Gate, open each afternoon from four to six. Robert Little   AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 142 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 3:27 pm:        C Bataille - Yes, it is "easy" if you have the right tools and the knowhow. However, people who set up WEP encryption on their wireless networks will protect their information. Nowadays with consumer wireless routers from Linksys, SMC, and even Apple, setting up WEP is easy for the people that can put in an extra 30 minutes of reading the owner's manual. Robert - I hear ya!! I just hope that place actually opens one day!   woodstock Citizen Username: Woodstock Post Number: 221 Registered: 9-2002 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 5:00 pm:        WEP? You're kidding, right? I can name a half-dozen places to download software to crack WEP included in most Wireless networks. Just put "crack WEP" (no quotes) into Google. For your own home network, use MAC address filtering, among others. One of the CMP or ZD magazines recently had a sidebar article on securing your wireless network. There are tons of web sites that give advice as well. The best security is based on who you allow access, not on who you don't. I'm sure lselter can give better suggestions... Mr. Little, one thing to consider. If someone hijacks your wireless connection, and they do something malicious, it can possibly be traced back to your public IP address, which is where the "buck" might stop. Has 802.11g included any new significant security features? Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him   AZ Citizen Username: Azaltsman Post Number: 143 Registered: 1-2003 Posted on Monday, July 14, 2003 - 5:20 pm:        Woodstock, You CAN crack a WEP key if you're using a 40 bit key AND you're technical enough to idenify the exact stream of wireless data. Most wireless vendors don't even include 40 bit anymore. Using 128 bit WEP is safe. As far as using the MAC address filtering, that's at a different layer. Just because you lock out a MAC address doesn't mean you can't "sniff" the wireless data. MAC address filtering just disallows a wireless network card connection to the access point. Again, even at 40 bit, the probabilty is highly unlikely and at 128 bit, it's practically impossible.