# Free Wireless



## Praetor

In my area where I live there are two free wireless services (802.11b) in the residental areas of the city ... was wondering if this was "special" or if other people have this in their respective cities as well


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## Praetor

You can get almost 5miles with a can of pringles  ... course it will take some work to get it going


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## Blind_Arrow

I still am not sure, weather it'll support 5 miles radius or not, as its huge. and dangerous as well, unless until you are confident with encryption.  and darkd3vil, yes you can, as if u have wireless cards at ur home, and the gateway has either ur MAC ID listed, (or) the gateway operator is fool enough to give everyone with free wireless.


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## Praetor

> I still am not sure, weather it'll support 5 miles radius or not, as its huge. and dangerous as well, unless until you are confident with encryption.


LOL yeah, my bad. I meant 3Mi/5km  .... it's doable but its more of a proof of concept type of deal rather than an "avg joe" implementable thing. ... of course if you want it for proof or need wireless THAT BAD.. encryption wont be a concern 



> the gateway operator is fool enough to give everyone with free wireless.


Or the area has free wireless (i live in an area with 2 free 802/11b wireless services)


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## kb1ghc

If you mount point a pringles can into a large satellite dish, it will really give you a boost
(this is called a parabolic dish antenna with a waveguide feedpoint)


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## Praetor

Yeah, i think MaxPC did an article on this (or i might be thinking of a different magazine...its been awhile) but they managed to actually get it working in a real-world situation.... took quite some work but hey... cheap and fun


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## miaeih

I've heard of a couple cities with free Wifi provided by the local gov. More cities MAY catch on but it's a matter of money or who's going to pay for it.


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## Praetor

Yeah thats true, i wish they'd get a move on with that 
Basic wireless should be free (kinda like basic 56K)


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## djadragon

Praetor said:
			
		

> You can get almost 5miles with a can of pringles  ... course it will take some work to get it going





wait wait wait...how tell me how?


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## Praetor

> wait wait wait...how tell me how?


Realistically it's more of a proof of concept implementation but it can be done ... look through some of the older magazines (i cant remember which mag, i think it was either MaxPC or PowerPC or PowerUser or something like that, circa2001). You would just use the pirngles can as an antenna


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## Christopher

A search reveals a couple of links


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## kb1ghc

do a google search on "parabolic dish antenna", you'll find all the info you need.


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## Praetor

> must be nice


Yeah it is  I rarely use it though but yeah from time to time ill make use of it ... nothing like driving around town and downlaoding in the middle of the street


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## nomav6

the college I go to has wireless but I dont live on campus anymore and Im even in a diff. city now, so I can't take advantage of it


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## pipit

What is " free wireless area"?  who ussually support it? the goverment? or just special institution?

it sound great having it here    Just a wish....


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## Praetor

> What is " free wireless area"? who ussually support it? the goverment? or just special institution?


Some company decided to give free wireless but so that we dont completely hijack the other thread *poof*


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## nomav6

I remember an episode on techtv forgot which show it was but probably screensavers where some guy out west(USA) had wireless net and went up on a hill and broadcasted it for the rest of the city and the ISP was ok with it, and then the city started talking about providing it themselves so hopefully more will follow, but it'll take a long time for it to hit kentucky.


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## djadragon

wow i wanna try that man


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## Praetor

Dunno how efficient that would be (unless you're on 72Mbit 802.11a ... even then).


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## nomav6

yea, I wouldn't try doing it myself but you can go and start talking to your govn. officials and start putting pressure on them to get wireless service.
Hint: I would do it when its close to election time hehe.


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## kharmini91

Uh I pick up my 802.11g from my next-door neighbor... lol actually I pick up two: dunkas and james


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## pc club guy

U MEAN THIS? http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448


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## Geoff

Praetor said:
			
		

> In my area where I live there are two free wireless services (802.11b) in the residental areas of the city ... was wondering if this was "special" or if other people have this in their respective cities as well


  i have around 30+ in my area, practically all book stores and coffee shops offer it, most free of charge.


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## Burgon

In Czech republic's capital city named prague, there is a FREE wireless in some parts of it.


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## lee101

grr, i only pick up my neighbors wifi, and it is soo weak i couldn't even connect if i tried, other than that i don't think many people mear me will have heard of the internet, dam over 100 year olds


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## atomic

WOW...this thread has come back to life after a long time...the orginal thread was made on 07-14-2004, 07:59 PM.


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## Motoxrdude

lol i can get 3 free wireless connections. There encrypted but all me neighbors set there Wep key to there pets name


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## ckfordy

man i live in a small town and there are a bunch of houses i can connect to with  my psp.  one of our teachers at our school has wireless internet so i can use the internet on my psp at school


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## Motoxrdude

ckfordy said:
			
		

> man i live in a small town and there are a bunch of houses i can connect to with  my psp.  one of our teachers at our school has wireless internet so i can use the internet on my psp at school


Hahah, same here! I go to a pretty big high school but i can go online in History, english, and spanish


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## ryunoneil

once i connected to the internet using WIFI With a PPC to BT wirless service.......


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## ryunoneil

WEP's WPA's And PSK's are like numbers and words
i never new anyone would set them to Pets names lol


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## spacedude89

Im trying to get my dad to design an uber good wifi antenna but hes too busy....   
=(


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## Joker_2oo6

You would just set the pringles can by your laptop and recieve a connection


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