SoCalFreeNet, a 250-member San Diego wireless users group providing free internet access, is using Sputnik software and hardware to power a growing network of access nodes in and around San Diego.
“We intend to expand free wireless access across San Diego,” said SoCalFreeNet president Lee Barken, who, in addition to his volunteer work with SoCalFreeNet, is co-director of the STAR Center at San Diego State University.
“We hope to work with other wireless user groups to blanket the area and make it possible for all residents to have free Internet access.” SoCalFreeNet already provides free wireless access in about 20 nodes.
Sputnik is a San Francisco-based provider of low-cost, managed Wi-Fi networks. Their Sputnik Control Center manages Sputnik’s 200 milliwatt AP ($325) as well as their AP 160 ($185) and AP 120 ($165) access points but does not work out of the box with third-party wireless APs. Instead, it requires that the APs have been updated with Sputnik Agent software or bridged (wired or wirelessly) to a Sputnik unit.
Sputnik-Powered AP s utilize a customizeable captive portal page (redirect) page and can push content to end-users. Each Sputnik-Powered AP can be configured to serve unique captive portal/redirect pages. The embedded agent software on the AP tracks who is connected to the network and how much bandwidth they consume. This information is logged by, and can be analyzed with Sputnik Control Center for usage statistics, fraud detection or integration with third-party settlement and billing systems.
With Sputnik hardware and software, SoCalFreeNet [could] provision and manage a city-wide network from a central location. The degree to which Sputnik hardware and software will be integrated into the SoCalFreeNet system is not clear, but Sputnik’s centralized management could have some significant advantages. Especially as “freenets” become “citynets”, which tend to require security, roaming, and management control.
Sputnik also supports subscription access and other business models.
With the RADIUS module (introductory price $295), centralized account management for a wide variety of remote and local authentication is supported. It enables end users to roam across networks and provides customized service for each user. Sputnik has packaged inexpensive, outdoor/indoor hotspots with centralized management in one, cost/effective package.
Laptops with 802.11b are available at Wal-Mart for less than $600 - about the cost of some reference books.
How much would 10 nodes in library branches and 100 nodes around your town cost? How much money would it save? How much money would “splash page” advertising generate?
Do the math.
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