WISPiab ingredients - research archive

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Existing/related projects & products - Research Archive

NOTE BEFORE YOU READ: At this point we have not broken down the list into sublists for Hardware / Software / Projects - etc! Most items in the list incorporate aspects of all of these, so we keep them in one list. When this becomes to chaotic, we will divide it.

This list includes a.o.

  • projects / approaches, commercial as well as non-commercial
  • software, software platforms
  • (almost) pure hardware vendors, integrated hardware/software, etc


We have now removed into archive all the items that have been identified as NOT relevant.

Please find a template at the top of the list, in case you would like to add to the list! You are very welcome to!

Template for new entries

  • Type: (e.g. Community project, Company, Hardware vendor, Software Vendor, ISP, Telco, ...)
  • Description:
  • URL: URL
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance:




A2Billing

  • Type: Hardware + Software platform
  • Description: "full featured telecom platform and softswitch providing converged services, with self contained billing (pre or post-paid), reporting and statistics for IP and TDM based voice networks"
  • URL: http://trac.asterisk2billing.org/cgi-bin/trac.cgi
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: YES - see a.o. connections to Dabba and Trixbox


Chillispot

  • Type: SW
  • Description: Chilispot captive portal, standard in FLOSS captive portal world - "ChilliSpot is an open source captive portal or wireless LAN access point controller. It is used for authenticating users of a wireless LAN. It supports web based login, which is today's standard for public HotSpots, WISP "smart-client" authentication, and it supports Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA and WPA2). Authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA protocol) is handled via RADIUS (on board or remote).

Development on the original project continues, but slowly for some. The Coova-Chilli is an active project and has since added many new features and is an integral part of the CoovaAP firmware.

As of mid 2007, ChilliSpot appears to be dead. The developer Jens Jacobsen has vanished, and the chillispot.org domain has lapsed. Fortunately CoovaChilli has forked from ChilliSpot 1.0 and development continues with an active user-base." See Coova instead.


Colubris

Coova

  • Type: Software: Firmware for WRT54G etc
  • Description: "Hotspot setup and management software .... includes firmware, authentication and management services, and captive portal solutions.... . .. Builds on OpenWrt, ChilliSpot, WifiDog, OpenVPN ...web interfaces for wifidog.conf and other conf files"
  • URL: URL
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: YES relevant! test and evaluate


Cuwin

  • Type: Software, community project
  • Description: "The CUWiN Foundation develops decentralized, community-owned networks that foster democratic cultures and local content. Through advocacy and through our commitment to open source technology, we support organic networks that grow to meet the needs of their community."
  • URL: http://www.cuwin.net/
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: yes- explore overlaps and cooperation


Dabba / Orange Farm

  • Type: Village telco and ISP (e.g. Community project, Company, Hardware vendor, Software Vendor, ISP, Telco, ...)
  • Description: SW based off openWRT, OpenSER, coova,
  • URL: dabba.co.za
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: yes! uses and brings together best-of-breed usual suspects. working business model. cooperation.

Fadeco

  • Type: Community project
  • Description: an impressive example of an organically grown bootstrapped

network project. Ian Howard interview: "a true social entrepreneur at work." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErXK29u4Pf8

  • URL: URL
  • Contacts: Josepg Sekiku
  • Relevance: high. interview and study business model.

Fantsuam Foundation

  • Type: Community project, network
  • Description: Fantsuam has implemented a communtiy network, including interesting experiences with voucher based billing
  • URL: fantsuam.org
  • Contacts: Alberto and Ochuoko through Sebastian
  • Relevance: yes. Analyse experience with Billing implementation


Firkant.net

  • Type: Communtiy owned fiber network
  • Description: Though outside region (Denmark), an interesting case story of successful CON (fiber).
  • URL: firkant.net
  • Contacts: through Sebastian
  • Relevance: low in this phase, but interesting re: community owned fiber. to learn from. interview!


Freifunk

  • Type: Community project, Software
  • Description: Freifunk is arguably the most succesful mesh movement and source of one of the best GUI integrated firmwares for the Linksys WRT54G and other boxes
  • URL: freifunk.net
  • Contacts: see URL
  • Relevance: high


Green-Wifi

  • Type: Community project, Hardware
  • Description: "Green WiFi has developed a low cost, solar-powered, standardized WiFi access solution that runs out-of-the-box with no systems integration or power requirements. All that is required is a single source of broadband access. "
  • URL: http://green-wifi.org/
  • Contacts: see URL
  • Relevance: high - hardware experience, sw aspects (?), rollout coop?

Inveneo

  • Type: Hardware/Software solutions, Implementer
  • Description: "The Inveneo WiFi Outdoor Access Point is a rugged wireless router that can be used in multiple network configurations, for long-distance point-to-point links or to connect multiple locations. The WiFi Access Point requires very little network and device setup, as the integrated software has an internal webserver with easy-to-use interface accessible from any standard web browser. - The Computing Station is an ultra-low-power, affordable and fully functional desktop computer designed for use in rural locations such as schools, clinics, field offices, community centers and Internet cafes. - The Inveneo Hub Server|| "
  • URL: http://www.inveneo.org
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: high. Low power focus extremely relevant.


ISPBill

  • Type: Software
  • Description: "ISPBill is an ISP billing and management system. It features automatic generation and emailing of invoices, receipts and statements, a customer interface, a ticket system, and much more. ISPBill is intended to continue where cwispy left off"
  • URL: http://sourceforge.net/projects/ispbill/
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: yes - test it


ISPConfig

  • Type: Software
  • Description: "ISPConfig is an open source hosting control panel for Linux. ISPConfig is licensed under BSD license."
  • URL: http://www.ispconfig.org/
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance:'yes - check against webmin


LessNetworks

  • Type: Software, SW/HW bundles
  • Description: "This Austin Texas based group, part of the Free WiFi Movement, offers the Hotspot Server open source software that you can use to create your own free hotspot. When you run their software installation it creates a Linux system with the appropriate settings. Lessnetworks provides downloads of the software, sells their software on disk for a nominal cost, and even sells some preconfigured wireless servers on eBay that you can purchase as a package."
  • URL: http://www.lessnetworks.com/index.php
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: yes. check out!


Musimi

  • Type: Village Telco of sorts
  • Description: Though outside region (Denmark), an interesting case story of successful (but also problematic?) Asterisk based Telco startup -
  • URL: msuimi.dk
  • Contacts: through Sebastian
  • Relevance: to learn from. interview! Sebastian


phpMyPrepaid

  • Type: Software
  • Description: An interface for the creation and managment of prepaid cards and accounts designed to work with a MySQL database and FreeRadius.
  • URL: http://sourceforge.net/projects/phpmyprepaid/
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance:Yes - possible candidate for billing integration


Soekris

  • Type: Hardware
  • Description: Low cost, low poer comms boards, e.g. net4521 - This compact, low-power, low-cost, advanced communication computer is based on a 133 Mhz 486 class processor. It has two 10/100 Mbit ethernet ports, up to 64 Mbyte SDRAM main memory and uses a CompactFlash module for program and data storage. It can be expanded using a MiniPCI type III board and up to two PC-Card/Cardbus adapters.

It has been optimized for use as wireless router using PC-Card wireless adapters, but has the flexibility to take on a whole range of different functions as a communication appliance. The board is designed for long life and low power.

It is available in any volume in the standard version, and as board only or with a small metal box and various power supplies. The board can be customized according to requirements when ordering higher volume."


Surf and Sip

  • Type: Software, Solutions
  • Description: "The Surf and Sip™ Access Manager allows businesses to set up their own public Internet access location. Businesses can turn their high speed Internet data line into a revenue generating business by installing the Access Manager in their location. The Access Manager manages both wireless and wired connections to the Internet. "
  • URL: http://www.surfandsip.com/ps_accessman.htm
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: None

Tranzeo

  • Type: Hardware vendor
  • Description: Interesting wireless hardware
  • URL: tranzeo.com
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: possibly?.


Trixbox

  • Type: SW, distro
  • Description: formerly known as Asterisk@Home, is an Asterisk distro aimed at ease of use. It is used by e.g. Uninet to provide community Voip. Their intgrated HW/SW product "Trixbox in a box" ... "... makes it even easier for business to get trixbox phone systems up and running. Why buy separate hardware, download and install software, configure the hardware, and test it all yourself?"
  • URL: URL
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: medium - probably covered already or integrated elsewhere


Ubiquiti

  • Type: Hardware vendor, solutions
  • Description: Vendors of WISP targetted high quality, low budget gear
  • URL: http://ubnt.com/
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance:yes


Webmin

  • Type: SW management, GUI based admin, etc
  • Description: "Webmin is a web-based interface for system administration for Unix. Using any modern web browser, you can setup user accounts, Apache, DNS, file sharing and much more. Webmin removes the need to manually edit Unix configuration files like /etc/passwd, and lets you manage a system from the console or remotely."
  • URL: http://www.webmin.com
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: yes


Worldspot

  • Type: WISP management, hotspot manegement
  • Description: builds on DD-WRT, Coova. Adds billing, multiple schemes and models.
  • URL: http://worldspot.net
  • Contacts:
  • Relevance: medium. tech ingredients are coova and dd-wrt. better go direct, Billing part might be interesting to look at, though business models might be incompatible.
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