Welcome to the world of “wireless magic.” 802.11 (Wi-Fi) wireless LANs have exploded onto the scene with an excitement not seen since the introduction of the Internet itself. Getting rid of the wires means getting rid of the hassle.With Wi-Fi, you can roam through your favorite coffee shop, boardroom or living room, all the while maintaining the convenience of high-speed connectivity. With Wi-Fi, life is good!

Once you’ve gone through the experience of setting up a local Wi-Fi network, your first instinct is likely to think that “bigger is better.” Expanding the coverage and increasing the network cloud enables you to share Internet resources with others as a community service. As long as you’re not breaking the law (or violating your ISP’s terms of service), you should listen to that creative instinct and start getting together with your neighbors (or others in your community) and begin planning a community wireless network! This book is all about the challenges, thrills, and adventures of such an effort, started in San Diego, and known as “SoCalFreeNet.” By offering this roadmap to you, the reader, we hope to inspire more such efforts in neighborhoods all around the world.