[H-GEN] Testing wireless networking at Humbug meeting

Paul Gearon pag at PISoftware.com
Thu Jan 31 22:06:14 EST 2002


[ Humbug *General* list - semi-serious discussions about Humbug and  ]
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On Fri, 1 Feb 2002, Raymond Smith wrote:

> On Fri, 1 Feb 2002, Sandra Milne wrote:
> > after reading the brismesh website a few months ago i got the feeling they
> > weren't planning on offering internet access just yet. more of a
> > file-sharing/gaming type thing to begin with. was i completely off the
> > planet, or have things just progressed since then?
>
> \darkencounselwithoutknowledge{
>
> Last time I looked into this the issue was that providing internet access
> over the network might make you a carrier and require you to apply for an
> expensive carrier license from DCITA if you allowed any 'commercial'
> traffic at all.

I've been on Brismesh for some months now.  There's been a lot of argument
and discussion, but one of the resolutions is that if Brismesh is just a
community group then they won't be allowed to have internet traffic on the
mesh.  If they join APANA then they will be allowed to (APANA have the all
the required paperwork, licences, etc).

Several people in the mesh are against APANA, mostly it seems because the
guy from APANA has rubbed them up the wrong way.  Also, several people
don't need net access (because they have cable or something) and see net
traffic as an unnecessary hog of the mesh bandwidth (slowing down access
to their Quake servers and the like  ;-)

OTOH, many people feel that joining APANA and getting net access it the
best thing to do.  It's still not resolved, but the discussion has
quietened down lately.  IMO they seem to be leaning to joining APANA.

The most important point is that none of this means anything until a
working mesh is up and running!  There's still a little way to go there,
though a few people are talking to each other already.

> This might have changed; and I am sure the brismesh people have looked
> into it. I would certainly believe that APANA (being a corporation and
> all) would be in a better position to apply for whatever licenses are
> necessary.

They've looked into it, and into it, and into it.... It's become rather
tiresome  :-)

Regards,
Paul Gearon

Software Engineer                Telephone:   +61 7 3876 2188
Plugged In Software              Fax:         +61 7 3876 4899
http://www.PIsoftware.com        PGP Key available via finger

Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum
immane mittam.
(Translation from latin: "I have a catapult. Give me all the money,
or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.")



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