Monday 5th Feb

Soros and funding..
Just the mention of this prospect has thrown up all sorts of comment and criticism, lets get a consensus straight and deal with the issue promptly.

Node propagation report
Outline of plans to extend capabilities of http://consume.net/nodes

CONSUME Access point software BSD versions now available.. linux and windows coming?

Radio authority
DTI -Offcom report clean bill of health for CONSUME..

CONSUME discounted wireless LAN equipment now available on-line ecom
http://www.vavo.com/evavo/consume

The wireless networking forum launched last week http://freenetworks.org Our friends worldwide,

Request for your direct assistance and time on the CONSME project..
We really need more hands at work in all areas... and need to assign fresh project co-ordinators ...

It would be useful to have a comprehensive recap on current CONSUME networking strategy

what do folk want to know..

[1] ? how to get started and how to continue ?
Make a start by subscribing to the mailing lists and register your prospective node at home and if likely at work. Once you open the channel to the information about progress and development you will be in the position to move forward and co-ordinate with others. Several of those already involved have begun dialogue with official bodies on your behalf to confirm the legal and lawful status of the consume strategy.

Our initiative has drawn us into conversation with the Radio Authority and Dept of Trade & Industry and we anticipate their letter of formal approval and clarification of the UK Telecom act and Radio Licence governing the 2.4ghz waveband in terms of CONSUME use.

We have also made contact with other groups around the world involved in similar projects. This collaboration is best evident at a new website where every group can be represented and broader issues put to open discussion http://www.freenetworks.org

[2] ? what is needed to build a node ?
Any pc can be set up and used as a node for consume, any OS can be configured to control the wireless network adapters (wireless LAN PCMCIA cards). Some very specific networking and routing issues need to be addressed when constructing a mesh network as seems most likely in consume. To date some custom code for the FreeBSD Unix OS has been published to manage these issues and offer some of the controls needed and we recommend that all who can go ahead and examine and test these offerings or add their own suggestions.

A typical node at this stage might be one offering user connection over DHCP and node interconnection using private network address space and a system of IP allocation routed by free software. In terms of equipment each node will need to install an antenna on a rooftop or prominent location with line of sight to its connecting nodes, run a cable down to the routing PC equiped with wireless LAN adapter and running CONSUME aware routing software. A wide range of equipment is now available from UK based distributors and international vendors over the internet. Consume users can now pick up their equipment including exclusive discount from the first of we hope many CONSUME aware resellers http://www.vavo/evavo/consume

[3] ? how to find and link nodes ?
You can find out the identities of your local nodes and their relative status of operation by visiting consume.net/nodes and for the UK searching by Postcode. (Other countriies will need to enter LongLat co-ordinates for the moment until further development is completed so please get involved) You may also find that by registering your node you stimulate local interest and adoption. Any local business or institution may well have an interest or inclination to adopt consume and work with you locally to resolve a connection but may not know you so be clear and persistent and you will find local interest will grow. Don't wait to be certain of connection to another before starting as your initiative maybe all thats required to stimulate others. The database results include directional and distance info so when attempting a connection you will at least be able to check for visual contact. The software you will be running will be in sync with other node configurations and once you are in radio contact will interlink as you determine.

[4] ? what can we do with this network once we have it ?
The current set of wireless equipment we are examining and putting into place operates over 2.4ghz and has a suggested data rate of 11mbs. However it seems certain that the achivable level maybe lower than that, in any case we assume a minimum of 2mbs possible. This is an equivelant to the maximum currently possible across copper with DSL and the basic offering for fibre connection. The former has exchange restrictions and annual costs of £1000+ the latter is expensive with a 12k BT entry tag and ISP additional transit costs but with upward scalability to 10mbs*

All this said once connection is made there is a local potential at each node point of omnidirectional distribution upward of 2mbs at no ongoing cost. This bandwidth is the equivilant of connection speeds 40 times that possible over modem and the simultenous connection of 100 stereo audio feeds or 50 video connections.* Almost certainly these modest figures will be surpassed with connections up to 8mbs possible in some situations and a strong likelyhood that 2nd wave wireless cards using 5ghz will be available at the end of the year that are rated at 55mbs. IP standards are capable of carrying any data packet on to its destination and so all forms of exchange in current use will be possible over Consume.

The good news is that it will also be possible to implement techniques not yet available on the public Internet.. like multicast (where a single streaming transmission can be offered to a network segment without the need for separate delivery for each request*) Multiplayer gaming, SMS messaging, and remote monitoring and operation of equipment will compete with mass data exchange and shared processing techniques... blaa

[5] ? where else is consume in use and how to support development elsewhere ?
Wireless LAN technology is in use across the world. Manufactures have concentrated on the commercial markets, corporate America and International business where use of wireless networking reflects changes in work practice. The use of radio frequencys worldwide is tightly controlled and although within europe there is pressure on governments to make common frequencies available for use with wireless LAN equipment 2.4, 3.6.5.4.ghz. etc it is still difficult for users in France and Spain for instance as use of 2.4ghz has been prevented so far* (correct me). Further afield it seems less certain how restrictions might impact on propagation but there is growing interest from around the world and increasingly we are being contacted by groups and individuals requesting info and support or informing us of their progress.

[6] ? How you can help and get involved in the initial supporting structure and help shape the future for CONSUME ?
There is no great plan or structure in place for the organisation and management of CONSUME. it is a project comprised of loose collaboration and consensus. This could well seem like chaos for those looking in and not participating but truth is that with so many showing interest and getting involved a momentum for progress has arisen. There is always something you can be doing to maintain this momentum, get involved with some of the research and development work underway by contacting one of the co-ordinators if that's not working then seek solutions for your self use the list to find others at a similar stage or with similar interest. We are asking for more help to get some specific work on the website finished so get in touch son to lend a hand. a The website in general has been constucted by YT (james stevens) as the expression of starting point for the developing stategy. It has been kept simple and easy to navigate but does not now get the attention it requires to hold current state of the project. Subsections require even more intensive attention such as the Node data base and the hub of the resource

If you feel you have a particular issue to discuss or have some time free to help others get on and open nodes then we are all in the same situation so don't be shy.