NETGEAR recognises the power of Open Source and introduces its new OS based router WGR614L and the NETGEAR Open Source Router Community:
The latest NETGEAR open source wireless router is the WGR614L: the open wireless router platform of choice for serious developers and newer users alike. Flexible and powerful, the WGR614L can support many popular third party firmware applications, including DD-WRT, Tomato, and Sveasoft.
As most new consumer routers do, it also supports guest access via a separate SSID. All this starting at 69 USD.
Great CUWin wiki article on how to flash a Fonera with OpenWRT using Win XP, Linux or OSX.
The article is quiet lengthy, and again, shows that flashing a device is not for the faint hearted (or regular Joe on the street). That’s why we need projects like Open-Mesh and CUWin to give us preflashed open source meshing devices, though we also need them to get the Australian/NZ C-Tick to be able to use them.
Come say hi at booth 65 of the Wireless World 2008 expo in Darling Harbour this week Wednesday and Thursday. The expo is free to attend, though you do need to register at entry. Heckle us with your questions, get touchy-feely with a Meraki up-close (oooh), or just say hi!
“Now into its fifth year and still experiencing unprecedented growth, Wireless World has become the region’s biggest dedicated end-user, solutions-focused event.
The event brings together mobile workers and wireless enterprises and provides them with an effective way to research the industry and then choose the best fit technologies, solutions and suppliers for their organisations.
In short, Wireless World is all about the integration and convergence of wireless, mobile, RF and IP solutions and how this can be applied to improve the way we all communicate and do business.”
I know most of us need to work during the week, so meet us next weekend Saturday and Sunday at BarCamp Sydney v3! Free again!
NO SPECTATORS, ONLY PARTICIPANTS
BarCamp Sydney April 5 & 6, a whole weekend!
When you come, be prepared to share with BarCampers.
When you leave, be prepared to share it with the world.
BarCamp is an ad-hoc unconference born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment.
It is an intense event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees.
Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to participate.
What’s Next?
Sign up on the wiki, check out the blog, tell all your friends, prepare your presentation, ask your company if they’re interested in sponsoring…
Go!: http://barcamp.org/BarCampSydney
Here is an interesting rundown on the history of Meraki and perceived negative changes that have been made to the original offering. Changes like forced advertising on the original price point while tripling the price to use the ‘Pro’ service allowing you to charge for access, most recently the right to flash other firmware onto Meraki hardware has been removed.
These changes have lead to splinter groups that are working hard (and successfully) to duplicate Meraki’s offering in an entirely open source solution. See http://www.open-mesh.com/ for one such group.
Meraki makes another business blunder
After just a few months, Meraki responded by updating their End User License Agreement [...] (which) allows the Meraki to
prevent any changes to the Meraki hardware or firmware (software) on
any new hardware purchases.[...] My ultimate goal is a completely open source solution for creating a Wireless Open Mesh Network by April 1st. Let’s work together to make that goal achievable everywhere!