[WEB4LIB] Wireless on the cheap (or not) .. comments?

[Thomas Bennett]

  We've implemented wireless publicly in the Library since Spring Semester
2000 as the first wireless offering on campus.  The library purchased 10 IBM
Thinkpads for University patrons to check out for a period of 4 hours with
an option for an additional 4 hour renewal.  Wireless has spread to the
Student Union and some classrooms now.  Patrons are now beginning to bring
in their own notebooks with wireless ethernet cards.

  All computers accessing the Internet on the campus network now have to be
registered for network access.  This is implemented by directing any
unregistered machine to the registration WEB page when the browser is open.
Registration requires campus username and ASU id number.  There is a guest
registration with the password being changed daily.  Only a campus computer
consultant can give you the current day's password.  The campus is divided
up into several domains in which you have to register on each one
independently when connecting by hardwire in different groups of building on
campus.  The wireless is on its on domain and you only have to register one
time to use wireless anywhere on campus.  The wireless is also considered an
"untrusted domain" and as such cannot access servers in the "trusted
domain".  All Internet (versus Intranet) WEB servers are in the untrusted
domain.

  A Sharp Zaurus with a wireless CF card by TRENDnet has become a very
useful tool.  The Zaurus also can accomodate a secure digital card at the
same time to increase storage capacity.  The Zaurus is running Linux 2.4
embbeded OS and comes with Opera browser (awsome ;-)).  With Opera,
PostgreSQL databases on a Linux server can be accessed through the Zope WEB
application server.  I've created special pages (for small screens) in Zope
specifically for use with the Zaurus PDA such as computer inventory.  There
is telnet and ssh on the Zaurus also and I can immediately trouble shoot any
server connections from most anywhere in the library, depending on wireless
signal strength.  I've set the same wireless network name on my system at
home (using DSL) as we use on campus so when I get home I can pop open my
Zaurus and be on the Internet if I wish.

  Most recently has been testing on an HP Journada 720 with an Enterasys
(Cabletron) PCMCIA Wireless Network card running MS Handheld PC 2000.  The
wireless driver for has only worked for the 2.4 ghz card and none of the
earlier models.  The drawback of this Journada 720 (imho) is the smart card
slot, try and find a smartcard and one worth buying.  It does have a CF slot
but not for any CF cards with extensions such as a wireless network card.


Thomas


-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Charles Lockwood
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 10:27 AM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Wireless on the cheap (or not) .. comments?


In an abrupt change of topic from the interesting
Newsday article  posted today ( I dont judge their scene harshly  ) and
in the interest of keeping up with the Joneses,
does anyone want to share success stories with
implementing your own in-house wireless services for your patrons.
This is *not* currently my area of knowledge, have plenty of  catching
up to do, but it seems that if they are marketing modest wireless
technology in the Sunday Paper to consumers, many of you would be trying
this @ the library.
Costs?
Security?
Other issues etc.

TIA
Chuck



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