News

Remember Rabbit phones? Now they're WiFi, mesh-enabled

There are over 42 WiFi access points visible to the restricted compatibility list of the typical Centrino PC - and NetStumbler on a multi-mode system sees nearly sixty in 3GSM Hall 2 - which is where the press room is. It is a system that cries out for a proper Mesh access network - and there was one here. But the Authorities asked Rabbit Point to take their mesh down.

Rabbit Point is, effectively, a way of providing VoIP cheaply to corporates. CTO Russell Hutson, announcing the startup of this company today, says that they will be looking at several Mesh systems, "as long as they are low cost and easy to install," as well as the current LocustWorld mesh boxes.

The story of how the 3GSM WiFi environment collapsed was not just a question of channel congestion. It turns out that the show organisers decided to create their own shed-wide network, using "only" channels 1, 6, and 11 - which is to say, all the 2.4 GHz channels that don't overlap.

When they discovered Hall 2 covered by a free mesh, they instructed Rabbit Point to dismantle it, leaving the Rabbit booth with its local Internet connection and a desk full of wired PCs for access, and one WiFi hotspot. And at that point, things went badly wrong.

According to informed (but anonymous) sources, "someone tripped over a cable" and the entire Internet feed to the hall WLAN died. It left 40-odd access points jamming the ether, but all with what Windows coyly terms "restricted or no connectivity."

Hutson's startup company is selling VoIP over Mesh to businesses, on the basis of the number of mobile calls made in office premises, and the number of minutes of roaming charges incurred by the typical mobile sales force.

"We're even seeing some of our trial customers saying to hotels which they have contracts with that they'll switch that contract to another hotel for their staff - unless they install a Rabbit Point mesh in the building," said Hutson.

 Tags: 3GSM, WiFi, and Mesh