What would happen if internet is shutdown? As happen with Egyptians in rule of President Hosni Mubarak. Similarly, the Syrian government also temporarily disabled much of that country internet, which had helped protesters mobilize. Due to such government censorship there is threat to right to express. So, we need to search for alternative path for communication or connecting to internet. FabFi is one such alternative way to getconnected to internet. Most of the components can be build out of trash. It's low tech, it's simple and it's works.
FabFi is open source project by FabLab of MIT's. Through FabFi one can transmit wireless ethernet signals across distance of up to several miles. By building wireless network, communities can use high speed internet. Therefore it is user extensible, long range point-to-point and mesh hybrid-wireless broadband connection infrastructure. At present network deployed in two countries Afghanistan and Kenya.
How do it works?
Well a resident of remote place can build a FabFi node by mounting wireless router on RF(radio frequency) reflector with a wire mesh surface, with a budget of approximately $60. In a single link of FabFi system should consist of two reflectors with wireless routers. A single router can be linked to both wired and wireless connection at the same time. In this way they create a mesh network. The advantage in this network is any new user can connect to any node and one node is up linked to WWW.
FabFi uses an open source 3rd party firmware called openWRT, on all of its router that give a wide range of network monitoring and self-diagnostic tools. As reliable power is ongoing challenge in some areas, the supporting devices can powered by car battery of 12V D.C.
As from source FabFi has proven increadibly reliable in Afghanistan harsh climate. In spite of some hardware failures, FabFi is cheapest and reliable way to get broadband internet usage in remote places or most war-torn regions of the world.
[source: FabLab]
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