distributed autonomous networks

[Ben Weiss]

I've thought about this a lot.  Right now, there's an international (very
low speed) sort-of internet based in Amateur Packet Radio.  Everyone has a
2meter FM (range 5-10 miles over flat turrain; up to 300 to a tall mountain
through a repeater) handi-talky on their belts and a 1200 (a little 2400)
*half duplex* modem with which they check into whatever bbs is near by and
get their mail from all over the world.  There are 19.2 & I think 56kpbs
backbones operating over satelittes & High Frequency.  It works.  It's
intolerably slow.  It's operating legally on ham frequencies which do not
(legally) allow encryption.

The main reason it's so slow is that the protocal was designed by these
guys in Phoenix 10 years ago to use the radios popularly off the shelf
then.

Now, however, there are *FULL DUPLEX* radios available cheap ($400) off the
shelf that use separate bands for tx & rx to make them cheap.  (Most of
these are 144 MHz <-> 440 MHz, Transmit on one, receive on the other,
either way)

I'm working on a new protocal which instead of using the current CSMA/CD,
has local repeaters serving an area which do full duplex & pass a token
around.  Unfortunately, I'll probably only be able to increase bandwidth
enough to bring the current 4-5 users per frequency up to 15 or 20.  This
is still nowhere near enough to do what you want, but it does still use
off-the-shelf radios & modems you can build for $20 in parts & connect to
your PC or Mac (Software will also be req'd- mods to current stuff will
work)

My roomate, tvr at cnmat.CNMAT.Berkeley.EDU (KD6PAG), is working on custome
radios that raise that 2400 bps barrier to 19.2 or 38kpbs.  I think that
without my full duplex protocal, he'll still have to wait around dealing
with transmit-receive turnover latency, but hey- if it works, wow!

Anyone else with any cool ideas?

+---------------------------  Ben Weiss  ------------------------------+
! Telephone: (510) 841-5709 voice     Internet: LazyLion at Netcom.com    !
!            (415) 325-9600 fax                 Ben_D._Weiss at bmug.org  !
+-------------- Packet Radio: WB5QAL at N6EEG.#NOCAL.CA.US ---------------+