[Berlin-wireless] Fonera Setup (war: linuxtag freikarten)

[Sven-Ola Tuecke]

Hi Steven,

yes I know. There's not enough info about the networking / mode stuff in the 
fonera-pack readme. OK - I'll try.

Networking Model
----------------------------

The networking model / how internet is distributed in a Freifunk mesh is very 
different to the FON business model. The FON model includes a certain amount 
of hotspots scattered over an arbitrary area. Each FON router should have its 
own (wired) internet access via DSL, leased line or dialup modem. The idea is 
(as you hopefully know) to share/sell the unused bandwidth of the (payed) 
personal internet access to others. Freifunk is different. We form a 
_wireless intranet_, where internet access is a service offered by 
volunteers. We (normally) do not pay for internet connectivity. In short: 
Freifunk forms a network and FON is a service offer.

To "catch" paying users, a FON hotspot offers it's connectivity in a mode 
easyly understand by typical end-user laptops/notebooks/PCs: the access point 
wifi mode. A connecting PC should have connectivity and zero-admin config, so 
it is hopefully really easy to display the"insert-coin-here page. Freifunk 
again is different here. To participate as equal with equals in a network, we 
need to cooperate at least on the techical level. This includes using a 
specific wifi mode (ad-hoc or IBSS) as well as relaying data of other users 
and running a certain protocol program find and configure an optimized data 
paths through the network.

To combine these different networking models, the Freifunk fonera pack offeres 
different operation "modes". These modes are designed following these simple 
rules:

a) The FON anf Freifunk stuff should function as designed in parallel.
b) It should not be possible to sell the internet connectivity offered by 
Freifunk volunteers via FON.
c) It should not be possible to nerve wreck Freifunk users with the FON login 
page.
d) There should be a benefit for the average FON user to install that stuff.

You can use the "Open" mode, if you want to share your own internet uplink 
with the community. Every Freifunk user connecting via Ad-Hoc and running the 
OLSR routing program can use your internet gateway. It's announce per "HNA" 
which basically says "Internet here". THe OLSR will search and configure a 
data path ("route") to the nearest HNA inet gateway found. Without the FON 
login page of course.
 
You can use the "Ego" mode, if you do not want the FON stuff / FON login page 
at all. To keep fair play, the FON callback is stopped and there is 
no "FON_AP" signal then. If you want to offer inet to the community, simply 
configure Inet as usual.

If you want to relay data via radio from other Freifunk users, but you want 
your own internet uplink for yourself (and the FON users loggin in), you can 
use the "Stealth" mode. All the Freifunk mesh routings happens in a 
background routing table. You do not announce your internet gateway via HNA 
and a Ad-Hoc connected Freifunk users uses different default route (not your 
standard inet default route).

As a benefit for the FON-only users, you can tunnel your own internet gatway 
via Freifunk and offer a FON uplink elsewhere in the Freifunk mesh. For this, 
the different Master-Modes (Open-Master, Ego-Master, Ego-Slave) are offered. 
You can configure a second / third / forth Fonera as "Slave" and setup a 
tunnel via Freifunk Meshing to use and sell your own inet gw. You find a 
sample configuration on the "Freifunk-Advanced" web page.

Q: Why there are no "Open-Slave", "Ego-Slave" nor "Stealth-Slave" modes? Well, 

A: If you re-think it and maybe read the above once more you will understand: 
Open-Slave is contraprodutive. A device should not announce inet which it not 
has. Ego-Slave is not necessary. Simply use Ego. Which will configure/use the 
next HNA / Freifunk gateway, possibly your Fonera in "Open" mode. 
Stealth-Slave: This is offered as "Slave mode"

HTH
// Sven-Ola

Am Freitag, 1. Juni 2007 16:24 schrieb Steven Leeman:
> Hi,
>
> Anyone able to give me pointers on that Cipe Tunnel Setup?
>
> Mvg,
> Steven
>
> 2007/5/30, Sven-Ola Tuecke <sven-ola at gmx.de>:
> >  Hi Steven,
> >
> > obviously, the readme is not enough. A better answer tomorrow or so. To
> > connect via Meshing - yes, you need an OLSR enabled device. To connect
> > via Accesspoint (either FON_xxx or MyPlace) this is not necessary. To
> > have inet for FON-xxx and MyPlace on the second fonera, you need the cipe
> > tunnel setup, which tunnels the private FON_xxx / MyPlace via Freifunk
> > meshing.
> >
> > // Sven-Ola