WiFi Radio Software

[saint]

WiCast is an open source project designed to Multicast UDP datagram packets over a WiFi wireless network to IGMP group. It consists of two sub projects a Multicast Server and a Multicast Client. A third sub-project is planned to provide a multicast software relay suitable for creating multicast mesh networks. The project will function over all standard 802.11 based Wireless networks. The project is designed in UML using Sparx Enterprise architect and implemented in Java. The design, source code and documentation are available on the projects download page and may be further distributed under the GPL licence.

 

Applications

 

- Departure and Arrival boards in Airports, Train & Bus stations.

- Sign posts, directions & tourist information.

- Retail information, Sales, Special offers and opening times.

- Event Schedules

 

http://www.wicast.net/

[frankallen]

As intresting as it sounds and please forgive my ignorance here but what is it for?

[GKIye]

Hi Frank,

After visiting the website it gives Me the idea it offers a way to setup an own server service who enables WIFI casting into specific areas

 

Is that right Saint ? Or am I completly wrong ?

[saint]

You are absolutely right GK, with one exception.

 

Normal wifi streaming sends one stream to each connected client. You still deal with bandwidth issues. If you wanted to send a 750 kbs video stream on your wifi network - depending on your total bandwidth capacity - you could probably only support a very few people. (This is called Unicast Streaming.)

 

Multicast wifi sends just one stream and every one uses that one single stream. So, if you could crowd a million people into the wifi signal area - all one million people could watch.

[GKIye]

Thanks Saint,

 

and all this can be done by this open source software ?

At their website there is a "download" section who offers a rather small .zip file.

Is that the setup for the software ?

 

By reading your reply it looks very interesting to decrease the send data ...

[saint]

Its a Jar file ( JAVA ) so it looks like it would operate on any operating system that supports the java language.

 

One small draw back to multicast - the receiver ( audio or video player ) must be capable of supporting the multicast streaming protocol.

 

You can contact the developer of the software through his consulting page

http://www.wicast.co.uk/contact.html

 

Actually, If you get a decent enough wireless router base station, and a good antenna, you would be surprised at the range you could get with something like this.

 

On the receiving end, you could actually increase the range if you used something like a pringles wifi antenna.

 

Ranges of several kilometers are possible with a good base station / antenna and a directional antenna at the receiver.

 

You could cluster a couple of units together and cover a entire community - legally !

 

Reach

 

Wi-Fi networks have limited range. A typical wireless router using 802.11b or 802.11g with a stock antenna might have a range of 32 m (120 ft) indoors and 95 m (300 ft) outdoors. The new IEEE 802.11n however, can exceed that range by more than double. Range also varies with frequency band. Wi-Fi in the 2.4 GHz frequency block has slightly better range than Wi-Fi in the 5 GHz frequency block. Outdoor range with improved (directional) antennas can be several kilometres or more with line-of-sight. In general, the maximum amount of power that a Wi-Fi device can transmit is limited by local regulations, such as FCC Part 15 in USA.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi

 

Power increase or receiver sensitivity boosting

 

Another way of adding range uses a power amplifier. Commonly known as "range extender amplifiers" these small devices supply usually around ½ watt of power to the antenna. Such amplifiers may give more than five times the range to an existing network. Every 6 dB gain doubles range. The alternative techniques of selecting a more sensitive WLAN adapter (some are quite "deaf") and more directive antenna should also be considered.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long-range_Wi-Fi

 

 

More information :

 

http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448

 

http://www.binarywolf.com/249/signal_strength.htm

 

http://www.binarywolf.com/249/pringles_cantenna.htm

 

http://www.binarywolf.com/249/hawking-hi-gain-antennas.htm

 

http://www.cantenna.com/

[frankallen]

oh wow this is really quite intresting, I might look in to a small project just to see what can be acheived with this.

Thanks for the info