WHAT IS A WAN ?
HOW FAST IS NEWRYWAN ?
IS IT RELIABLE ?
WHAT CAN I USE NEWRYWAN FOR ?
HOW DOES IT WORK ?
HOW DO I KNOW IF I CAN CONNECT TO SOMEONE
ELSE ?
HOW IS THE NEWRYWAN NETWORK
INFRASTRUCTURE LAID OUT ?
CAN I CONNECT TO THE INTERNET USING
NEWRYWAN ?
CAN I PUT SERVERS ON THE NETWORK
?
CAN I RUN MY BUSINESS ON THE NETWORK ?
WHERE CAN I GET THE EQUIPMENT ?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST ?
CAN I GET TECHNICAL HELP ?
CAN I HELP ?
IS NEWRYWAN ONLY FOR NEWRY
?
ARE THERE ANY LEGAL RESTRICTIONS ?
What is
a WAN ?
A computer network that spans a relatively large geographical
area. Computers connected to a Wide-Area Network (WAN) are
often connected through public networks, such as the telephone
system. They can also be connected through leased lines or
satellites. The largest WAN in existence is the Internet.
For us our WAN will be connected through wireless links.
How fast is NewryWAN
?
NewryWAN and wireless networks in general support speeds of
1Mbit-11Mbit/sec. depending on signal quality. This will increase
to 54Mbit/sec with the new 802.11g standard, although it hasn't
been formally agreed upon yet and exists in a draft format.
If you can receive a good signal you can probably connect
at 11Mbit/sec, but the speed will decrease in stages if the
signal is weak. Even the lowest speed of 1Mbit/sec is quite
usable for internet access and other services. For comparison,
a typical broadband (ADSL) internet connection is 512K/sec
or 0.5Mbit/sec, so you would be getting twice this speed at
the lowest setting !
Is it reliable
?
Wireless networking isn't new. It has been used for years
in businesses to link different offices and networks. As long
as you have a strong signal when setting it up, even rain
and fog shouldn't make much difference.
What can
I use NewryWAN for ?
Everything you can use the internet for ! It works on all
the same principles that both the Internet & Local Area
Networks follow. You can play games, send & recieve files,
chat, access video streaming, e-learning etc.
How
does it work ?
Using the IEEE 802.11b standard, (or Wireless LAN Technology)
a number of clients link into a local access point creating
a node. These nodes then interconnect to create NewryWAN.
How do I
know if I can connect to someone else ?
If you have visual Line-Of-Sight (LOS) (eg. You are able to
see them through binoculars) to someone else that is connected
into NewryWAN within a few kilometres of you, you can connect
into NewryWAN. We can carry out a free site survey for you
How
is the NewryWAN network infrastructure laid out ?
NewryWAN is going to have a distributed, node based network.
What this basically means is that people within a few kilometres
of each other will connect into a central access point. This
access point will in turn be linked to other access points
throughout Ireland and effectively create an IrishWAN
Can
I connect to the internet using NewryWAN ?
YES ! You can connect to the internet by accessing another
members internet connection which is usually high speed (ADSL
/ Broadband). Of course, small contributions from members
are welcome to help with the cost of providing internet. One
concept is that members group together and purchase a high
speed connection (currently up to 2Mbit/sec in Newry area)
and share the cost of this between them.
Can
I put servers on the network ?
As long as the servers do not interfere with the running of
the network, or impact on other users service, you are allowed
to run anything - within reason.
Can I run my
business on the network ?
Unfortunately not at the moment, for a number of reasons,
but mainly due to the fact that it would require NewryWAN
/ IrishWAN to invest money in buying telecommunications licences.
We wont be doing this for the foreseeable future.
Where can I get the equipment
?
Wireless LAN cards are available from any good PC shop. You’ll
need the PCMCIA version for a laptop, a card and holder or
wireless AP (access point) for a PC. We can supply this equipment
for you and we make no profit from this. We purchase our equipment
from WLANSOURCE.CO.UK
& ADSLRESOURCE.CO.UK
Check out the EQUIPMENT section
for pictures
How much does it cost ?
As mentioned before, access to NewryWAN is free. A Wireless
LAN card costs upwards of £40 depending on where you
buy it. If you require an antenna good ones start at £30.
Pigtail cables (they connect your wireless card to the antenna)
cost about £15. Cable is around £1 per foot. The
total cost can range from £80 up to £150 to gain
access to the network. After this there are no other costs,
even to use and access the network, although small contributions
are welcome to help with the running of the network and sharing
the cost of internet access.
Can I get technical help ?
Of course ! We’ll be adding more detailed technical
advice to this web site in the near future. In the meantime
please do write to us at INFO@NEWRYWAN.ORG
if you have any problems. We’ll do our best to help.
And for free of course :-)
Can I help ?
YES, definitely. You can set up a node, provide a repeater,
provide internet access, help people to get connected, put
an antenna up for someone, whatever. We are currently seeking
members with some sort of technical expertise. Send us an
email to INFO@NEWRYWAN.ORG
if you are interested in helping us, after all we're a non-profit
community group providing a great service to the community.
The more people that connect into NewryWAN, the larger it
will become - benefiting all users.
Is NewryWAN only for Newry
?
No. If we can gather more users and volunteers we hope to
expand the network to surrounding districts. Again, please
let us know if you are interested in becoming a member regardless
of your location as we can then plan the network for future
developments
Are there any legal restrictions
?
Yes. According to government regulations your antenna can
not broadcast more than 100 MilliWatts of power, although
this is quite easy to adhere to. This is a very low figure,
less than half that of a normal mobile phone. If you’re
just using a wireless card you don’t need to worry since
the card will sort this out itself. If you intend to use an
external antenna please email us for advice on how to keep
it below the 100MilliWatt mark
