Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Wireless Leiden:

Cooperation between volunteers

and authoritiesKedke conference 2006

Rudi van DrunenWireless Leiden Foundationhttp://www.wirelessleiden.nl

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Agenda

•How come ?

•Setup

•Volunteers

•Authorities

•Applications

•Conclusion

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

How come ?

•Two radio amateurs bought cards on E-Bay and built a network spanning 6 Km (2001)

•A computer enthousiast (“hacker”) saw the write-up on the Net

• Similar activities in the USA

•They got together and.....

•Wireless Leiden was Born

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Setup

•Not “just” a bunch of Open Access Pts

•Full broadband network

•No internet service provider

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Setup

•Town of Leiden (NL) + surroundings

• Area: 300 Km^2

• approx. 120 Nodes

• > 250 interlinks

• > 2000 unique users

• Open Source

• Foundation

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Leiden (NL)

Leiden

other wirelesscommunities

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• Network Development

• 2002 -- 2006

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Current

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Node

•FreeBSD (OpenSource) system

• Old PC

• Wireless cards

•1..3 node connections

• Directional Antenna

•1 Accesspoint

• Omni Antenna

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Volunteers

•Local University students

•Local Small technical businesses

•Radio Amateurs

•Professionals

• Working at Internet related companies

• Working at Cell Providers

• Politicians

• Lawyer

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Volunteers

•All Projects are Volunteer work

• No “official” management / involvement

• No Paid jobs @Wireless Leiden

• Difficult to manage volunteer force

• Time

• Commitment

• Social activities

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Sponsoring• All Wireless Leiden Projects are sponsored:

• Money (1200 Euro per node)

• Locations (high, strategic buildings)

• Equipment (PC’s, antennas etc)

• Knowledge (input from high-tech companies / University)

• Sponsors are

• Local businesses

• Large industries (eg. Shell)

• Computer related industry (eg. Dell)

• Local Municipality

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Authorities•Local : Municipality of Leiden

• Politics

• (Local) Regulations

• Buildings / sites

• Win-Win situation

• Connecting Schools (each other / Internet / museum / library)

• Connecting Municipality to the inhabitants

• Streaming of town-hall meetings / information / E-forms

• Connecting government sites, Supporting Events (Rembrandt year)

• Cheap / Flexible (cf. to a fiber network)

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Authorities

•Centralized Government

• Regulatory bodies

• Radio frequency and power

• Telecom regulations

• Justice (data tapping)

• Money

• Financial affairs

• Innovation support

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Authorities

•European Government

• Regulatory bodies

• Electronics regulations

• Telecom regulations

• Money

• Innovation support

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Spin-Off

• (new) Economic Activity in the region

• Small High-tech companies

• Wireless Leiden founded a “Wireless Knowledge Cluster”

• 10 small start-up high-tech companies that are active in Wireless / Networking

• ESTEC Space Research Center

• (Inter)National “marketing” of Leiden as “Wireless Capital of the Netherlands”

•Connection to local Schools / University

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Some pics

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Users’ device

•Clients

• Wireless card

• USB device

• Ethernet Device (wandy)

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Applications•Free Internet Access

•Peer To Peer file sharing

•Virtual Private Networks (between company offices)

•Video / Audio streams

•Web cams

• Interactive teaching

• Internet phone service

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Conclusions•Simple setup

• cheap, easy

•Volunteer effort

• Open Community, fun, social aspects, culture

•Government

• Takes some adaptation to work with. Win-Win situation

•Great developments

• Concept (office technology used outside@large)

• Spinoffs, Software, Technology, Applications

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Questions / Resources

Rudi van Drunen

E-mail: Rudi@WirelessLeiden.nl

http://www.wirelessleiden.nl

Copyright 2006 Stichting Wireless Leiden

Sponsors

• http://www.wirelessleiden.nl/sponsors/