Wi-Fi the Street

The next big techie thing? Neighborhood wi-fi access. It supposedly builds neighborly relations. We like it, but our approval might end when the laptop-totin' homeless population arrives to sit on the curbs:

The Fourth Street hotspot is part of a communal wireless project called Neighbornode, started by then New York University grad student John Geraci as a way to add a community-building aspect to the common practice of using a neighbor's Wi-Fi network to get online. Anyone with a broadband connection can start a Neighbornode. When someone uses the node to access the Web, he is first directed to a home page with a message board, classified section and photo page to help locals recognize one another. (You can use a second router to maintain a private and secure Wi-Fi network for your home.) New York City currently has 18 such hotspots, and eight other nodes have appeared in such remote areas as Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. . .

Some ISPs consider sharing your Internet connection to be a violation of your terms of service, so give yours a call before setting up a community hotspot. Also, typical Wi-Fi range is about 150 feet, so if you have a big block, consider using an external antenna, such as those available from Radiolabs (from $100; radiolabs.com) to boost your signal up to 300 feet.

Link.