A community network provides a sustainable, trusted platform for an urban neighborhood. By taking this course, you will be involved in adding a network to the ‘network of networks, the Internet.
To build stable, high-speed wireless links, it is important to understand the concepts like radio waves, electromagnetism, polarization, and radio propagation. Applying technical standards in an industry such as wireless networking has advantages for customers (such as yourself) and the vendors from whom your wireless networking equipment (such as cards, receivers, and access points) will be purchased. One of such standards includes IEEE’s 802.11 standards for wireless networking, which is available for anyone to use when developing wireless networking products. This means that anyone with the right knowledge and skill can build their product, which could work together with other 802.11 products. This course creates one such foundation for anyone to build wireless community networks.
The primary goals of a community network may include providing a sustainable, trusted platform for an urban neighborhood, suburban village or exurban town or region to enhance a vital community and functioning democracy; closing the digital divide across socio-economic lines; offering easier access to already existing information and services; promotion of local economic development and employment; strengthening of local identity; and/or revitalization, promotion, and/or maintenance of local communal ties.
Community networks often provide free web space, e-mail, and other services without advertising.
This course also provides a detailed understanding of wireless standards, IEEE 802.11 wireless LAN, electromagnetism, radio propagation, Media Access Control in Ethernet (IEEE 802.3), routing, IP tunneling, network topologies and infrastructure, Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless networking protocols, innovations in wireless networking.
