The Open
Network Craft modules are designed to serve
as practical, in-the-field guides
that will provide clear instructions for how to create, from
the ground up, the physical wiring and infrastructure required
to connect rural and remote communities to the Internet using
Broadband technology.
These modules focus on the basic physical
fundamentals of the hardware installation aspects of networking
– making two or more devices speak to one another over
a physical or wireless hookup.
Choice of specific technology will generally
depend upon environmental variables and access requirements,
such as geography and distances, number of access points and
users. For example, a fiberoptic cable may provide service
to one community, but in order for the next remote community
on the far side of a mountain to hook into the fiber network,
a tower may be required on the mountaintop to shoot a wireless
feed to the second community. Both communities could then
be wired with ethernet Local
Area Networks (LANs)to connect individual users. These
modules emphasize basic, correct methods for physical network
construction demonstrating the use of ethernet, wireless,
cable, and fibre optic technology to create networks that
are both scaleable and sustainable.
Trying to hook up a community to the Internet
is a lot of work. In Canada, throwing large distances and
difficult terrain and weather conditions into the mix means
that Broadband access is not just a great quantity of front-end
organizational work, planning and fundraising, but also a
lot of physical labour. If you're reading these modules, perhaps
it means that your community is already well on its way, and
now just wants to get 'down to brass tacks' and install a
network.
The Open
Network Craft modules are written based
on our own experiences of installing networks. Real-life networking
requires resourcefulness, flexibility, adaptability, and often
excellent problem-solving skills. In these modules, we have
tried to take into account that things in remote areas don't
always work as well as they sometimes do in urban centres:
Equipment doesn't arrive or takes ten times as long to be
couriered; the one little part that is required to turn the
equipment on didn't come in the box; the wrong parts are shipped,
or one was backordered until next February... it's not always
a perfect world.
These manuals try to take real-life factors
into account - if you're on top of a mountain somewhere in
NorthWest backandbeyond, you might not just be able to run
down the street to the local computer supplier, Radioshack
or hardware store to pick up or order the widget that you
need. We've tried to provide workarounds for common problems
that we've seen based upon our experience, we've tried to
offer alternatives for supplies where another solution more
commonly available at a remote store may work, and where possible,
we've tried to give you plans so that you can build your own
alternative materials and tools to replace more expensive,
or less available parts and supplies.
The basic assumption is that this material
will be used in the field, by real people. If, when you're
reading, you see aspects of the content that you think could
be revised, please let
us know.
| To begin, click on the tabs above.
Each tab will provide an explanation of what you can expect
to find under each section when you are in the modules.
Then, when you're ready, click on the "Craft
Modules" button above left to begin the modules!
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Welcome to Open
Network Craft ! Happy networking!
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