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From the O'Reilly WWW Site:
In Building Wireless Community Networks, author and O'Reilly network
administrator Rob Flickenger offers a compelling case for building wireless
networks on a local level: They are inexpensive, and they can be implemented
and managed by the community using them, whether it's a school, a
neighborhood, or a small business. This nuts-and-bolts guide provides all
the necessary information for planning a network, getting the necessary
components, and understanding protocols that you need to design and
implement your network. The wireless Internet infrastructure, also known as
Wi-Fi, is based on the 802.11b standard.
The book covers Rob's experience with the Sebastopol Community Network
(NoCAT), a multi-tiered network that provides wireless access for O'Reilly
employees and free Web browsing to anyone in the area who has a Wi-Fi card
in his or her computer. He describes his experience in using 802.11b,
selecting the appropriate equipment, finding antenna sites, and coping with
the general problems of outdoor networking.
Building Wireless Community Networks starts off with basic wireless concepts
and essential network services, while later chapters focus on specific
aspects of building your own wireless networks. The final chapter is a
detailed journal of Rob's experiences in building his first community
network. He begins with his first attempts at using a wireless card at a
conference, covers the real-life experience of trying something new, and
ends with notes from the Portland Summit, a national gathering of wireless
aficionados.
If you want to join the grassroots effort to build freely available wireless
Internet infrastructures in your community, this book is invaluable.
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