Find a Cost-effective and Dynamic Way to Have an Access to the Internet

Suppose you are a journalist writing a report about an edgy hostage situation, and you are on a strict deadline. You do not have time to get back to your office, and if yo do you will miss some important developing story. Luckily, you have got a wireless internet connection—you can write the story and send it to your office without missing the scene.

Part of your report describes how police got real-time feeds from security cameras. The officers track the situation and access layout of the building from their patrol cars. This information is useful in deciding what to do. They also have a network access to the hostage negotiator.

When the situation is over, everyone would believe that it is the municipal wireless network that helped solve the situation.

The more you go through this article, the more you can explore about the amazing things that these networks do.  Along side, municipal wireless network offers potentially free access or cheap access to the Internet.

[Related: How to Get Free WiFi While You are On The Go]

How do the wireless systems work?

Earlier a modem needed to be connected to a computer and dialed up to get access to the Internet. The process was quite clumsy and slow. And when the faster modems came, the data transmission became extremely slow.

[Read also: How to Improve a Slow Internet Connection]

Gradually, the home users who could afford the price, got access to broadband via satellite. This network is something that is faster than dial-up network. But, until recently you still get to plug your computer into the socket.

Well, wireless networking or WiFi has changed the entire scenario. 802.11 networking standards are used by wireless network to let electronic devices to communicate. Data travels from one place to another place via radio waves in a WiFi network system. Well, in this system, you still need to plug a wireless router into a modem. However, you can take your computer anywhere you would like to.

The WiFi network uses the unlicensed radio spectrum to transfer data. On the contrary, the bands that carry TV or radio signals have to use licensed radio spectrum. Anyone who has the right equipment can have the access to the unlicensed radio spectrum. And the right device is the wireless router and wireless technology.

[Read also: The Secrets to Keep your Wi-Fi within Range]

After this, many people started setting up wireless networks in their home as well as many businesses. Public gathering places have not stayed behind also. Parks, libraries and coffee shops have created WiFi hotspots to generate more businesses. This trend was in practice till 2002.

Now, cities have started setting up municipal wireless networks. This network uses more than 802.11 networking and it is different from that of a WiFi hotspot. It works on mesh networks.

What is a mesh network?

This is actually a wireless communication network, which is made up of radio waves arranged in a mesh topology.

Mesh Network- how does it work?

Most public gathering places like cafe and other places have got wireless hot spots. These wireless systems are configured with a Hub and Spoke. The radio wave of the Hub transmits and accepts data for many users.  A wire that connects the WiFi router to the net sends data from numerous users.

Whereas providing connectivity on a small scale is concerned, fixing a wireless router to a physical connection will work best. These routers are available at an inexpensive price. You can find out two types of wireless routers—encryption and sign-on. Choose anything from these two for an additional security.

However, this network has a drawback. If one wireless router fails, there is no other wireless network nearby to offer connectivity. And therefore, using a wire to attach to every wireless router to the Internet widely is costly. On the other hand, when it comes to connecting each wireless router to the net, it becomes costly.

[Recommended read: Open Garden – An App that opens Internet Connections]

This is the reason why municipal WiFi utilize mesh in place of systems used by WiFi hot spots. A mesh provides connectivity using radio waves. Each transmitter can build a communication bridge between two transmitters at a time. A cloud of radio waves can be created with these transmitters throughout the city. And this cloud transmits signals from one router to another router through the city.

Let us see what happens if you want to have an access to the net for your laptop in a mesh network.

• The close network can be detected easily by your laptop and you can log in.
• The WAP that regulates the mesh finds the best route for your data to trail. It programs the path before it reaches a physical connection.
• Your data traces the route that WAP builds. When your data reaches the transmitter that has a connection node, it moves above the net until it finds its ultimate destination.

Can you have access to the mesh network?

If you are out with a public access in a city, you can use this network without any extra device. You may require stronger radio signals or a directing receiving system if you want to have access to this network from your home. Though the city networks are strong to enter your home, your computer signal may not be that strong to make its way out of it again. Therefore, many of the service providers provide necessary devices for a fee or free.

Get that device and see how fast you can access to the Internet from your home.

[Image credit: Eris Stassi, Flickr]