{"id":17945,"date":"2013-11-12T09:31:29","date_gmt":"2013-11-12T17:31:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/?p=17945"},"modified":"2013-11-18T09:10:32","modified_gmt":"2013-11-18T17:10:32","slug":"would-you-join-a-private-parallel-network-in-your-neighborhood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intego.com\/mac-security-blog\/would-you-join-a-private-parallel-network-in-your-neighborhood\/","title":{"rendered":"Would You Join a Private, Parallel Network in Your Neighborhood?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"rooftop<\/a><\/p>\n

Would you join a private, parallel network in your neighborhood to access the Internet if it meant delivering a safer and more reliable way to communicate?<\/p>\n

In light of recent news about the invasive\u00a0surveillance activities of governments<\/a>, and Apple patenting the ability to shut down WiFi and cameras<\/a> in devices, many people are thinking about ways to go \u201coff the grid.\u201d\u00a0Having a private Internet could limit a certain amount of meddling in private citizens\u2019 traffic. In more rural or economically challenged areas, having a private, parallel network could help people solve the last mile problem for considerably less money than usual, getting broadband Internet access to the last few corners of the world that are currently without.<\/p>\n

Some interesting discussions have surfaced<\/a> recently about how communities in Athens, Greece, have created a private, parallel network\u2014called a \u201cmesh\u201d\u2014which allows them to use WiFi to connect to each other. They did so by linking up a set of rooftop WiFi antennas to create a mesh that can pass along data and signals.\u00a0There\u2019s even a possibility of encrypting traffic, to make traffic within the private network insulated against eavesdropping and Internet censorship.<\/p>\n

Current implementation of these\u00a0wireless mesh networks<\/a>\u00a0provide users with a way to access the Internet, as well as a private network of WiFi devices, including VoIP phone calls.\u00a0The Athenians aren’t the only ones utilizing this valuable technology, communities worldwide have also been building these private networks, in many cases because a mesh can be used as a less expensive way to access the regular Internet.<\/p>\n

Mesh networks are more private than the many\u00a0neighborhood-based social networks<\/a>\u00a0that have cropped up in recent years, as you can truly exclude those who are not physically within the area.\u00a0That said, with great connection comes great responsibility \u2013 by agreeing to allow others access to your network, you must be more aware of what is on that network. If the network isn\u2019t adequately protected to limit access to those people who are allowed to be on the network, anyone can join and potentially wreak havoc.<\/p>\n

As economic access depends more and more on an individual\u2019s ability to access and use the Internet, and as long as government surveillance is problematic<\/a> around the world, this is a rather exciting possibility. Hopefully this technology continues to grow and becomes more widely available in the years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Would you join a private, parallel network in your neighborhood to access the Internet if it meant delivering a safer and more reliable way to communicate? In light of recent news about the invasive\u00a0surveillance activities of governments, and Apple patenting the ability to shut down WiFi and cameras in devices, many people are thinking about […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":20925,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[13],"tags":[61,67,717,834,715,106,833,357,385],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n