Build-Your-Own Municipal or Campus Wi-Fi Network

If you have a Wi-Fi network and are finding either deadspots or not enough range, Wi-Fire is offering a ranger expander. In fact, they’re claiming access from up to a distance of 1000 feet. The device is a small-footprint (3″ x 4″ x 3/8″) external adapter for 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi networks and uses a high-sensitivity directional antenna. [via Asterisk VoiP News]

At distances like this, it wouldn’t take too many to create municipal Wi-Fi for select sections of the town or city you live in. No need to wait for city council to approve a project and have some over-bidding communications company find themselves delayed.

In fact, a link to hField Technologies, one reseller, shows that device is actually intended for campus Wi-Fi, off-campus housing, public access Wi-Fi, and wherever there may be “obstructions”. Since ranges up to 1000 feet mean far fewer access points, and at a price of $150/ unit, a network that uses Wi-Fire would be less expensive and far more likely to get approved at a city council or campus council meeting.

Once you have a boosted-signal network in place, mobile VoIP becomes quite plausible for entire neighbourhoods or campuses. I haven’t heard ofa Skype-enabled campus yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if someone’s dreaming that up right now. If you want to give something like that a go, here are 10 ways to boost your Wi-Fi signal, which is a bit more specific.