Dan Misener dot com

Inspired by Peter Rukavina’s experiments with mesh networking, I ordered three Meraki Minis this week, and installed two of them this morning. One sits on a bookshelf in our living room, and the other points north out our back window.

You can see the status of the network, named Corktown, right here online. And if you’re in the neighbourhood, you’re welcome to use the connection.

I’d love to try and convince other residents and businesses to jump on the mesh networking bandwagon, but I don’t really know how to explain the benefits to them. I’m thinking of a flyer, posted to lamposts at the intersection of Queen and Parliament:

Dear [List of neighbourhood SSIDs here],

You probably pay a lot for high-speed internet. I know I do.

Want to share? Make things cheaper, faster, and better for everyone?

Let’s start a wireless mesh network.

Would you bite? I would, but I’m a geek like that.

Since moving into my new apartment last August, I’ve enjoyed free WiFi courtesy of one of my neighbours. I’m not sure whether it’s altruism or ignorance, but judging by their router’s SSID (”default”), my money’s on the latter. Anyway, for the past few months, it’s been great — a nice, strong, reliable signal. For free!

But the day I got back from New Year’s in Windsor, I realized something had changed. My old friend “default?” Encrypted! What was I to do?

• Hack the WEP encryption with Kismac?
• Hook up a complicated system of routers in my closet to borrow and redistribute another neighbour’s open signal?
• Go without the internet for a while and see what better things I can find to do with my time?

After some thought, I decided it might just be best to actually pay for my own internet access. Go figure. Now, as far as I know, there are only two companies that offer high-speed in Toronto: Bell and Rogers. I hate them both, but of the two, I hate Rogers the least. So, from Jenna’s laptop, I surfed on over to the Rogers site to see what the damage would be. I clicked on “Internet Services,” then “Promotions.” I typed in my postal code so the site could “provide [me] with the right products and services.”

This took me to a page with a list of specials. One of them looked pretty good:

Rogers Yahoo! Hi-Speed Internet EXPRESS

• Save $3 per month for 12 months!
• Receive $10 rebate with your online order
• Free Basic Installation
• No term commitment required

Free installation? A discount for ordering online? No contract? “Hey,” I thought, “maybe paying for legit Internet won’t be so bad. Sign me up!” So I clicked “Order Now.” It took me to a page that asked for my name and address. Hurriedly, I typed them in, and clicked “Continue.” Then, this:

Yes, that’s right. I couldn’t order Rogers high-speed because they were “currently experiencing system problems.”

Wow, Rogers. You’re really inspiring confidence in your internet service product with that one.

Yeesh.