Digital Brilliance Spotlight
Digital Brilliance is being inspired by people with exciting
new ideas for products and applications that illuminate
the imagination through the fusion of advanced technologies
and intelligent design. Here we highlight the stories
and achievements of these Digital Brilliance pioneers.
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Connecting the World through Wireless
Broadband Networking - Jon Anderson, LocustWorld
As wireless networking became widely available and
affordable, Jon Anderson was inspired with the opportunities
that this created for building totally new computer
networking systems. Jon's idea was that intelligent
cooperative networking could link large numbers of wireless
devices into a vast mesh network. Jon founded the LocustWorld
project to transform this idea into reality.
  
The LocustWorld Mesh applies Jon's mesh networking concept,
providing Mesh Networking systems, which are widely used
in many applications. The most popular application for
the LocustWorld Mesh is providing affordable wireless
broadband services. Mesh Networks can be rolled out quickly
and efficiently, often serving areas where major network
providers are not satisfying the demand for affordable
broadband.LocustWorld became an overnight sensation, with
their MeshAP, an open source software application that
powers the LocustWorld MeshBox. MeshBoxes are widely used
by network operators to build affordable high speed wireless
internet access.
The LocustWorld Mesh Box is based on the VIA EPIA V5000
platform, a highly integrated PC motherboard, providing
a low power embedded system with no moving parts. The
LocustWorld MeshBox is an intelligent, self-organising
wireless network router, the building block for mesh networks
that can cover hundreds of square miles using dozens of
MeshBoxes.
 The
VIA EPIA V5000 platform with a VIA Eden 533MHz processor
is totally PC compatible, making it an excellent base
for embedded applications like the MeshAP. The MeshBox
is compatible with standard 802.11 WiFi networking,
working with Windows, Macs, Linux and PDAs.
LocustWorld supports a range of industry standard authentication
systems, facilitated through the LocustWorld Management
System or with in-house Radius server, with full support
for 'always on' connections, single use tickets, encrypted
PPTP connections and VPN passthru for IPSEC and PPTP.
Since the incredible success of the LocustWorld MeshAP,
LocustWorld has been approached by projects and organizations
from all over the world with an amazing variety of applications.
LocustWorld provides a wide range of added value services,
supporting commercial operators and providing additional
applications meeting specialised needs. Mesh networks
can be found all over the world from the US to the UK
to Borneo.
About Mesh Networking
LocustWorld Mesh Networking uses AODV, a public standard
specifically intended for building wireless mesh networks.
In addition to delivering fixed broadband, internet Mesh
networking can be used for many other applications:
» Instant
Broadband and Telephony for outdoor events and disaster
relief
» Telephony
applications using Voice over IP with SIP routing CCTV
Surveillance using PC compatible web cams
» Mobile
connectivity for Automobiles and Public Transportation
Embedded applications in remote sensors for industrial
applications Multi-media streaming and interactive video
and voice Localised
'Open
Access' TV and Radio stations
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