ON begins Software Project

We’ve started a new software development project to build easy to use Wireless Mesh Network Management software. Its in collaboration with three UNC Computer Science students. They are in the UNC Computer Science Department class called Comp 523: Software Engineering Laboratory. Thanks to Professor Diane Pozefsky at UNC for organizing this wonderful resource for community businesses and non-profits. Double thanks to the students who’ve volunteered to work with me on the project. I think we are going to build something unique and valuable to non-technical people. Check out the preliminary project description bellow.

Wireless Mesh Network Management Software

Orange Networking is a non-profit organization in Orange County working to foster equal access to the Internet so that all people may benefit from the use of digital communication tools. Orange Networking needs a software tool to help a diverse group of volunteers remotely manage wireless mesh networks. The hardware installations that this software will help manage will use open source software and modified consumer wireless hardware using the 802.11(x) spectrum. These mesh networks will provide Internet access to families inside their homes. The project is to build a web-based front end to existing open source wireless mesh network software to allow groups of volunteers to remotely manage multiple mesh network hardware installations.

Software requirements include

* A small number of people need to be able to manage large networks
* Browser based interface must be useable by non technical people
* Maintenance actions must be obvious
* Testing of remote routers must be quick
* Remote software config/repair must be simple
* Visualizations of complex log files must be easy to understand
* Security should be testable and fixable remotely if possible
* Must work with a broad range of consumer wifi hardware
* Users must be able to escalate action to another user