Building Wireless Community Networks, Second Edition

Chapter 1. Wireless Community Networks

A year is an eternity in networking.

—Anonymous

In the time since the first edition of this book was published, millions of wireless networking components have shipped into the eagerly waiting hands of consumers. We’ve seen consumer-grade wireless equipment prices fall dramatically as more and more manufacturers integrate wireless into their own products. Articles about various aspects of wireless networking have made international news, including strange tales of WarChalking, WarDriving, and Pringles can-wielding Secret Service agents (as reported at http://www.securityfocus.com/news/899). Wireless access is now available in many coffeehouses, parks, schools, offices, and homes.

What is it about wireless networking that has so many people worked into such a frenzy? I believe that people’s fascination with wireless is simple to understand. Wireless data networking is probably the most “magical” technology to evolve in recent times. Think of it: by installing an inexpensive PC card, your laptop can suddenly send and receive data at a very high speed, to anyone in range, even through walls! Many laptops have dispensed with the PC card altogether, and seem to magically just “be” online. Combined with the power of the Internet, your tiny battery-powered computer can now communicate globally, wherever an otherwise invisible wireless network happens to exist. More than any other networking technology, people just think it’s cool to use wireless (never ...