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Question of the Day: What is your non-negotiable item, device, or app for international travel?
Somerset west Mesh
- Thread starter bismay
- Start date
daysleeper
Senior Member
I'm still super keen! I live on the mountain in GB and have excellent LOS to Helderview. I would love to host a DC++ hub.
But we need more interest for it to be feasible. Anybody else keen?
But we need more interest for it to be feasible. Anybody else keen?
Kenny
Senior Member
I'm in for this !
Id be keen. Live on mountainside of Gordons Bay now, but I'm moving again soon. Probably to Somerset West. Id be willing to join if the equipment is cheap/can be made from pringle jars 
Edit:
If you guys want to see where I am, look on www.gbay.co.za, I am one house from one of his base stations on the mountain. One station further away from ocean.
Edit:
If you guys want to see where I am, look on www.gbay.co.za, I am one house from one of his base stations on the mountain. One station further away from ocean.
Last edited:
steveinsw
New Member
Somerset West Wireless
Steve from Solid State Computers.
It would be interesting to see if all the interested parties could actually get together and get something going, the WiFi scene here is very fragmented and a lot of suppliers are vying for their piece of the action.
Some established suppliers have been around for a while now, such as Snowball.
I have noted that I-Burst is putting up masts all over the place as well and have recently had a big shake up in their operations centre in JNB, but their Admin side leaves a lot to be desired, and they will need to review their pricing.
Also netcontacts with a 512kbps offering of R 1299 pm is too much - or am I missing something?
The mast on top of VCS in Victoria Rd, belonging to AWS has also gone up and looks pretty impressive.
The challenge is to get Body Corporates etc to allow access to Gated Villages, such as Greenways or Bel Aire etc,( if nobody is currently doing so)and being allowed to erect antenna's and offer services to residents at a very attractive cost.
The Challenge is to pool resorces and operate a with a decent call centre type of approach - and above all offer the best possible service.
Anybody have any ideas?
Steve from Solid State Computers.
It would be interesting to see if all the interested parties could actually get together and get something going, the WiFi scene here is very fragmented and a lot of suppliers are vying for their piece of the action.
Some established suppliers have been around for a while now, such as Snowball.
I have noted that I-Burst is putting up masts all over the place as well and have recently had a big shake up in their operations centre in JNB, but their Admin side leaves a lot to be desired, and they will need to review their pricing.
Also netcontacts with a 512kbps offering of R 1299 pm is too much - or am I missing something?
The mast on top of VCS in Victoria Rd, belonging to AWS has also gone up and looks pretty impressive.
The challenge is to get Body Corporates etc to allow access to Gated Villages, such as Greenways or Bel Aire etc,( if nobody is currently doing so)and being allowed to erect antenna's and offer services to residents at a very attractive cost.
The Challenge is to pool resorces and operate a with a decent call centre type of approach - and above all offer the best possible service.
Anybody have any ideas?
jdjoubert
Well-Known Member
Hi
I dont know how this "Mesh Networking" works..... but I am with Helderberg Wireless Sollutions. The owner, Matthew, knows his stuff and the price is right for the product he offers. I am paying R395 for a 196K connection.
So R1299 for a 512kbps connection seems a bit too high.
I dont know how this "Mesh Networking" works..... but I am with Helderberg Wireless Sollutions. The owner, Matthew, knows his stuff and the price is right for the product he offers. I am paying R395 for a 196K connection.
So R1299 for a 512kbps connection seems a bit too high.
daysleeper
Senior Member
Steveinsw! I think you missing the point. A mesh is a community effort. It has nothing to do with money. We give all our money to telkom, and there is none left for fly by night folks like WISPS. Please don't draw any attention to AWS, they are terrible.
As for snowball, they seem more organised and bigger.
The point i'm trying to make is that most of us have dsl, we want to start a WUG, see for example ctwug.za.net, it has nothing to do with internet. Its a community thing where we meet new people and share information and game a little.
We don't want these wisps involved! Its just the community. If they have the right to put up masts then so do we!
As for snowball, they seem more organised and bigger.
The point i'm trying to make is that most of us have dsl, we want to start a WUG, see for example ctwug.za.net, it has nothing to do with internet. Its a community thing where we meet new people and share information and game a little.
We don't want these wisps involved! Its just the community. If they have the right to put up masts then so do we!
jdjoubert
Well-Known Member
daysleeper said:
Hey Daysleeper. So this is then like a normal office network setup, only this time the network is over a bigger area by using Wi-Fi technology?
IOW..... someone who is paying already for a ISDN account @ telkom..... can now have a additional setup that lets him connect only to a chosen few ppl to share files, games, info etc etc......?
steveinsw
New Member
Thanks Daysleeper for clearing that up - but I don't agree that it is not about the money - at the end of the day it's "always about the money"
I have had a look at some of the forums and there is always a reference to the cost somewhere along the line.
The sharing of information across the network is fine, but most people will look at the angle of obtaining/sharing internet resorces as well, that is where people are trying to save on cost.
Also without some kind of administration it ends up being for a few enthusiasts and does not achieve it's ultimate aim.
Or am I missing the point again?
I have had a look at some of the forums and there is always a reference to the cost somewhere along the line.
The sharing of information across the network is fine, but most people will look at the angle of obtaining/sharing internet resorces as well, that is where people are trying to save on cost.
Also without some kind of administration it ends up being for a few enthusiasts and does not achieve it's ultimate aim.
Or am I missing the point again?
steveinsw
New Member
Probably the best is to see what the users would want from a mesh.
I suspect that a lot of users would be mainly interested in swopping music and movies only.
Some would be for gaming and others would also appreciate sharing internet connections - difficult because of Helkom's cap's etc.
Any thoughts on that?
I suspect that a lot of users would be mainly interested in swopping music and movies only.
Some would be for gaming and others would also appreciate sharing internet connections - difficult because of Helkom's cap's etc.
Any thoughts on that?
daysleeper
Senior Member
If I setup an AP and everybody connects to me and we all connect to each other. then everbody covers their own costs. we meet new people and we grow as a community. we learn what everybody does for a living and we network socially aswell.
if somebody wants to inject internet then by all meants. but its supposed to be a community. not a client and customer setup. if this is what you want ie money. then set up your own network and find your own clients. you'll soon find out that its not all roses and rather give your money to charity or to daffy or mufasa to put to better use. Most of the wisps around somerset west really suck, you'll have lots of competition and you need special VANS licenses ect. ect. however the whole point is a not for profit hobby. most of us of IT pros and we already have internet, and we are not stupid enough to risk the QOS some WISP can provide. we just want to mesh and share data at 11mbps, this would give most of us a sense of accomplishment that money can't buy. in short we just want to leave our expensive computers at home.
Please get a professional to do a feasibility test and really do your homework if you are attempting to start a wisp. you need to know all kinds of fancy things, and unless you have lots and lots of capital, success is unlikely.
Setup your own equipment on your roof with your cell number as the ssid. If anybody can see you then they can phone for IPs ect. that should get you started.
rather just be a NPO!
if somebody wants to inject internet then by all meants. but its supposed to be a community. not a client and customer setup. if this is what you want ie money. then set up your own network and find your own clients. you'll soon find out that its not all roses and rather give your money to charity or to daffy or mufasa to put to better use. Most of the wisps around somerset west really suck, you'll have lots of competition and you need special VANS licenses ect. ect. however the whole point is a not for profit hobby. most of us of IT pros and we already have internet, and we are not stupid enough to risk the QOS some WISP can provide. we just want to mesh and share data at 11mbps, this would give most of us a sense of accomplishment that money can't buy. in short we just want to leave our expensive computers at home.
Please get a professional to do a feasibility test and really do your homework if you are attempting to start a wisp. you need to know all kinds of fancy things, and unless you have lots and lots of capital, success is unlikely.
Setup your own equipment on your roof with your cell number as the ssid. If anybody can see you then they can phone for IPs ect. that should get you started.
rather just be a NPO!
Wow, there are quite a lot of these types of community projects because of what we have to suffer with telkom. Looks like Telkom is bringing us together in a way. Soon we are going to be the best privately networked country on the planet. Now there must be some sort of way to connect all of these private networks together to form a larger network around the country, without Telkom's help. 
mufasa
Well-Known Member
/me gives daysleeper a pat on the back....
well typed ....
will post my bank details if required
well typed ....
will post my bank details if required
Bullfrog, that would be like Internet South Africa
So whats happening? Do we know what equipment we'll need? We must look at a possible link to Cape Town aswell.
And steve, please dont make this about the money. It will ruin the 'community' feel.
So whats happening? Do we know what equipment we'll need? We must look at a possible link to Cape Town aswell.
And steve, please dont make this about the money. It will ruin the 'community' feel.
steveinsw
New Member
I like the idea of a mesh network and I accept the arguments against the WISP / money side of things, but I would still like to know about creating a large enough network to match the ideal of a mesh network without any internet being part of some arrangement.
Otherwise with the risk of repeating myself it becomes a "network" for a few interested users only and probably does not succeed on a grand scale.
That's all I will say on this matter anyway.
Let me hear some comments.
By the way I am SW, near Andries Pretorius Ave, and would consider putting up some hardware if there are any interested users around here.
Otherwise with the risk of repeating myself it becomes a "network" for a few interested users only and probably does not succeed on a grand scale.
That's all I will say on this matter anyway.
Let me hear some comments.
By the way I am SW, near Andries Pretorius Ave, and would consider putting up some hardware if there are any interested users around here.
Captain Beer
Executive Member
Can't see Bright Street from where I stay.