With the goal of this project to provide basic needs to groups for low cost, CUWiN was initially highlighted for its open source mesh solution that supports low cost consumer to high grade enterprise devices in unlicensed and licensed frequencies. The authors also say that CUWiN's "redundant system of routers sharing access, utilizing cheaply available licensed WiFi hardware" would be an ideal option suited for densely populated urban areas. The report goes on to recommend CUWiN in it's list of potential collaborators for the project.

From Sarah Mussoni, Program Administrator:
Last spring semester, the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) Global Innovation and Strategy Center (GISC) hired college interns from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Creighton University to conceptualize a Village Infrastructure in a Kit-Alpha (VIKA) for underserved populaces of 500-1,000 people. The premise behind a VIKA was that it would contain available and sustainable technologies for energy generation, water production and/or purification, and telecommunications, all of which can be linked to increased development and stability.

The authors deserve praise for dedicating research time toward Open Source technologies, recommending use of low cost licence free radios, and highlighting other innovative and Open Source projects like One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) and NComputing. However, there was a large tilt toward WiMAX throughout the document leading readers to believe it is a more holistic solution than it currently is.

For more information please read the attached VIKA Executive Summary and VIKA Final Report.

With the recently past International Summit for Community Wireless Networks handing out free La Fonera WiFi routers to all summit atenndees, a few of us made it a top priority to disambiguate the many scattered online instructions on how to flash the La Fonera (FON) WiFi router with something more useful to community networks.

Whats the outcome or locking a few wireless hackers and geeks in a room for a couple days... a wiki document containing a guide for installing vanilla OpenWRT Kamikaze 7.09 for users of Linux, OS X, and Windows.

Enjoy!
http://wiki.cuwin.net/index.php?title=Flashing_the_La_Fonera_with_OpenWRT

This past weekend CUWiN'ers were out at Homer, IL setting up the primary gateway and a primary node on their old downtown water tower while it rained ice :)

Below are some quick pictures (requires flash):

This will be a continuing project to provide Homer residents a free/cheap alternative higher priced alternatives availble to them.

All of the equipment used was purchased from Metrix.

Contact Daniel Meredith if you have any questions about this project.

A homeland security expert named W. David Stephenson has started posting a series of short videos on using simple, everyday technology to facilitate communication and coordination during disasters. This one mentions using CUWiN livecds to create an instant wireless network, similar to what was actually done in New Orleans as part of a grassroots disaster response for Hurricane Katrina.

Metrix Communication LLC, a long time partner of the CUWiN project, is now offering the CUWiN Kit. This 'CUWiN in a box' solution provides users with everything they need to install an outdoor CUWiN node for an existing network or to create their own network.

The CUWiN Kit is a modified Metrix Mark II Kit designed specifically for CUWiN. It comes flashed with the CUWiN software, and is the recommended platform for extending a CUWiN mesh network.

Support is handled directly through CUWiN.net

Kit includes everything you need to connect, including a universal mounting kit for horizontal or vertical surfaces:

• One Soekris net4826 motherboard
• One 802.11 a/b/g CM9 Wireless Card
• One extra mini-PCI slot to accommodate an additional mini-PCI radio
• Weatherproof NEMA 4x enclosure with mounting hardware
• Ethernet connection via a waterproof PG-9 cable gland
• One gasket sealed Female N pigtail connector
• Power over ethernet injector (POE)
• 50' Outdoor cable and connectors
• 7.4 dbi Omni Directional Antenna
• Universal Mounting Kit

Buy your CUWiN Kit NOW!