The ITS Solution - Version 1.0

Efex · Post by **Efex** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:11 pm

Righto,
Drawing board stuff here:

Before I go any further have a quick read http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/wireles ... smesh.html.

1. Software already exists which can be used to set up stable widerange wireless mesh networks. In theory if impletmented correctly this could allow a highspeed cross campus network which is 100% removed, and hence completly out of the control of ITS.

Basic principle is eveyone gets a wireless card, which then acts as client and repeater. Everyone should be able to see atleast a few other clients, which in turn see other clients. Data is sent across this 'mesh' throguh the shortest route possible. More people using the mesh, the faster it gets.

2. Why not create our own student network? Involve everyone who wants to help, get the educational spirit of cooperation working and produce something everyone can be proud of.

3. It doesnt just have to be used for file sharing, can become a centralised chat forum now that the union forums have dissappeared.

In the spirit of all that is good, lets take this and make something of it.

blue skies,
Efex

Post by **cocodude** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:29 pm

I think this is a great idea! There would be potential problems with it though, but it's worth thinking about.

Things to note:

- Speed: 802.11b will only give 500KB/sec max. Imagine hundreds of people downloading movies, sharing that bandwidth. Even if they weren't sharing the bandwidth, it's still pretty slow.
- Separability: It's likely someone will connect their computer to both the wireless network and ITS's one, so precautions must be taken so that this doesn't occur.
- Number of users: There won't be loads and loads of users because I imagine most people don't have a wireless card. Still, it could encourage others to buy one.

This is definitely an idea to consider still though. Possibly one should decentralised/anonymous networks turn out to be impossible.

Cocodude

thewizzy321 · Post by **thewizzy321** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 10:13 pm

an AdHoc wouldnt work very well considering 2 things, one is that everyone is too far away and not EVERYONE will be able to get a connection and as it is a adhoc network, data most of the time will jump from one computer to another making the connection SLOW.

A better idea would be for everyone to setup a fserver or xdcc on a irc network like undernet or ircsuper, where setting +i will hide your IP...

7thdelirium · Post by **7thdelirium** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 12:09 am

I agree with thewizzy, wireless isn't feasible, because we'd need antennas and users with the computer switched on almost 24/7, which isn't ok for many people.

BTW why the quest for fancy solutions? If what we want is to share files (because for chatting there're lots of other programs) shouldn't be enough to join a windows Workgroup and just share the folders you want?
The linux and mac users could use a samba client.

Yeah I know, it's not the same, not scalable, slow, insecure,... but at least we share files (and annoy ITS

), it isn't that what all is about?

p.s.Message for the ITS geniuses, if you are reading this (and you may read it because I'm sure this is how you found the HUB) please stop acting as the SS and start fixing the IT problems on campus, now there aren't P2P programs running and I've already waited 5 min. to read an email with a ppt attached (Ok now 10, this is insane!)

master811 · Post by **master811** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 1:53 am

problem with windows workgroups is it will only work for people on your subnet, so is limited in use really. plus theres little to stop people from simply streaming stuff off your pc, which will drain your own bandwidth.

Post by **BigG** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 8:11 pm

Yeah, windows filesharing can really nuke your bandwidth and processor if you have a couple of choobs streaming stuff off you.

Wireless is too slow for filesharing really :\

UnholySmoke · Post by **UnholySmoke** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 2:20 pm

Guess that's that then. What have we learnt from drawing board idea number one? Keep it simple. Simpler than a wireless mesh, slightly less simple than double-clicking on MSHOME and seeing what appears.

The following is just thoughts churning now....

The most important features needed are the ability for everybody to be able to see everybody, and a search function. Windows networking doesn't allow either of these, and it looks like DC++ is sussed. As far as I know there's no way to search users across campus without a central hub somewhere. Complete decentralisation is looking less and less likely. But remember that everyone has a fat wire to everyone else, so there must be a solution somewhere....

Detty · Post by **Detty** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 3:52 pm

How about an external hub like twofo that only allows IP addresses in the campus range? It's outside of ITS control but would require a user to be on campus in order to access it, everyone inside the hub would also be able to use active connections because all the hub is doing is telling two internal computers where each other is.

Post by **astropoint** » Wed Oct 12, 2005 3:56 pm

Detty wrote:How about an external hub like twofo that only allows IP addresses in the campus range?

ITS could easily block that the same way they have been doing (until recently it seems) to Twofo. So people would just sit and watch it connecting forever without actually getting anyway