802.11 with a bullet
Have you used an 802.11 PCMCIA card? I'm using one right now, from my
kitchen table. When the price went below $100/card I jumped and never
looked back. This technology, as a user, is amazing cool. As an engineer
is pretty poor, but since when has technical eligance won?
Sites on the net are reporting 20miles using a yagi ("yah-gee") antenna. This,
with reasonable math behind it. I saw a huge parabolic connected to an
802.11 at a research facility near me. They where getting amazing distance
and 2mb/sec.
I have to believe this will have some noticable effect on the "last
mile" problem. I want want to send voice over it as well as data.
When I mention this all of my qeek friends screem "QOS", a term I am
all too familiar with. I have to believe that like water going around
a dam, voice will find it's way into 802.11 (and blue tooth will disappear).
I had hoped that DSL would provice a $60/month T1 line into my house. That
does not seem to be in the cards. However, a 2mb/sec radio link does seem
to be not only practical, I think it it's something I could set up pretty
quickly right now. Check out Rooftops. I'm intrigued by guerrilla.net