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How the network works

The network has two main components: a main backbone and surrounding neighbourhoods of networks that connect to the backbone.

Technology behind the network:

The Stour Valley wireless network works using almost bog-standard radio computer network kit 802.11b or Wi-Fi, this technology that allows information to be exchanged at 11 Megabits per second (6000kb/s real world - still fast!) and by the interest of potential village users. Operating at around 2.4Ghz, the microwave radio signal produced by the wireless card in the computer can talk to other wireless cards and hence exchange information. The speed attained does vary depending on the strength of the connection. In real terms, this means an average MP3 song of 3Mb can be copied to another computer in approximately 6 seconds, a whole CD of 640Mb would take around 20 minutes. Standard Internet access in rural areas is around 28-56Kbs using the telephone line, so a wireless network is approximately 100 times faster, always on and does not tie up your phone line!

A wireless card or wireless access point is connected to your computer and is configured to talk to a designated access point. When your computer asks for a network or Internet resource, this request is passed from your computer, to the card, where it is turned into a radio signal. This is then picked up by another access point and either passed on to the appropriate network resource or is passed down the main valley link to the Internet gateway in Sudbury and thence on out into the wider world.

All normal types of internet activity can be carried by the network, from standard browsing or email to instant messaging, VoIP, games and web serving!

The main backbone

The backbone carries everybody's traffic to the Internet gateway.

The neighbourhood networks

Before a locality can connect to the Internet, somebody has to get a connection to the backbone and form a "repeater node." We already have repeater nodes strategically placed around the valley.

Once this connection (repeater node) is put in place, everybody in that immediate locality gets on the Internet from that connection via radio waves. To connect to this, a client connects directly through their own wireless hardware.

Current Internet Gateway & the future

Our current connection to the Internet is provided by a consumer grade ADSL broadband connection in Sudbury. This connection provides 512Kbps down to you and 256Kbps up to the Internet. We are using this connection method as it is over 30 time cheaper than an equivalent leased line and only has a one month contract so we are able to easily to change it as SVW develops.

ADSL being so cheap means that the number of Internet gateways will hopefully increase with Bures being ADSL Enabled in November 2003. Also as the network grows, these gateways will increase in speed from 500Kbs to 2000kbs.

With multiple gateways traffic can be balanced across them and provides failover backup. The option of running an email server on its own ADSL connection is also possible so if somebody sends a large email it will not block the main pipe.

Last update Wednesday, March 14, 2007 2:24 PM