[nycmesh]

We are replacing ISPs in NYC for our members. This is now, not the future. The main thing holding us back is scaling up the number of installs.

All networks, including us, add to this expensive infrastructure. The difference with our infrastructure is it is owned and shared by members.

[Paul-ish]

Very cool. Is this a customer coop or a non-profit (or something else)?

[nycmesh]

It's a non-profit

[prklmn]

Maybe you could get Ubiquiti to put up some money for promotion around the city to boost installs.

[peterwwillis]

> The main thing holding us back is scaling up the number of installs.

So the main thing holding you back is time, money, resources, access, customers, and logistics?

[nycmesh]

Mainly logistics. We've had a huge influx of people wanting to be connected since December, so we've had to add stuff like a ticketing system, inventory tracking and also we're training people to lead installs. It's normal scaling problems that fast growing organizations have.

[gowld]

Sure thing. And I offer free WiFi access to all my household members, houseguests, and next-door neighbors. The main thing holding me back is scaling up the number of installs too. I'm hoping a billion dollars of donations can square that away for me and my wider-area neighbor.

[danShumway]

I get that you're joking, but this is basically how public wifi works.

A bunch of businesses and nonprofits offer free wifi to their customers, and over time you build up a big enough blanket that pretty much anybody can walk into a coffee shop or library and check their email.

Tons of security risks, of course, but... I mean, I've used public wifi before during personal emergencies, and I was pretty grateful it existed. If you're gonna pick a comparison to be derisive with, maybe don't pick something that's widely useful and appreciated?

Comcast has even turned this into a selling point (I think somewhat unethically) by turning all of their customer access points into semi-public routers for other customers. It actually seems to scale pretty well.

[gowld]

Comcast doesn't do it for free. That is financed by bill-paying customers

[danShumway]

Yes?

Comcast provides its wifi by allowing you to connect to any other customer's router. (Roughly) a mesh network provides its wifi by allowing you to connect to any of the other nodes within the mesh.

What's your point? Is the money/infrastructure less legitimate because it was donated? Is the public wifi down at the library fundamentally worse because its cost wasn't bundled into the price of a coffee?

Hardware is hardware. If it works, who cares where it came from?

[bitcrusher]

Obviously you're being sarcastic, but they're not just dumping netgear routers on walls and saying "TADA! MESH!"... They're actually using industrial grade equipment to do this.

[ybloviator]

I missed the "industrial grade equipment" part in the arcticle, TBH. In fact I saw no real technical details at all. "Mesh" isn't even really defined. You'd think they'd at least mention what firmware they're running on their gear to implement "Mesh".

[Stephen304]

This is essentially what I do. I do have my housemates pay a share because they have access to a hardwire connection, but I have an open AP which my neighbors, guests, and anyone within line of sight down the street use. I have plenty of bandwidth that goes unused so I don't mind - I pay to have fast bursts of traffic, so I don't have a problem letting other people use what I don't. The only thing holding me back from having more people use it is locations nearby for repeaters. But I may put more effort into getting neighbors interested in hosting repeaters so that may change.