ndmckinney|net

Welcome Foneros!If you are visiting this page from my Fonera, or if you have come from somewhere else on the internet, welcome to my FON page. I’m hoping to share myPlease take a moment to leave a comment as a form of guestbook entry. You can leave as much or as little information as you like, but I would greatly appreciate it if you told me who you are and where you’re from. Other details, such as how long you’ve been a member of FON or a little biography, would also be nice.What is FON?FON is an international network of WiFi users. It is based around the idea of sharing. Traditionally, the network was divided into three classes of registered user:

1. Linus: A member who would offer up his bandwidth to the FON network in exchange for free access to other FON user networks.
2. Bill: A member who would offer up his bandwidth to the FON network in exchange for a 50% take on any network access sold to an Alien.
3. Alien: A member of the FON network who is not offering to provide internet access. Aliens must purchase access in order to participate.

A recent change in the FON structure has eliminated the practical distinction between Linus and Bill. Consequently, FON users can now offer up internet access as well as share freely across the world, although you still have the option of remaining a Linus for moral reasons.The FON network is of global reach. A FON user in the United States, for example, can use a FON company router (or flashes an appropriate router with the FON firmware) to offer up a portion of his bandwidth to other registered FON users. In return, he will gain access to FON networks in Amsterdam, Paris, or any other city in the world where FON users may be found.

Important: Fonero Gets Fonero

Anyone who wants a discounted FON box ($/€ 5.99 at present) can email me (click ‘Contact’ at the top of the screen) with the following information: Name, Email Address, and Country.  Alternatively, you can register on the FON Discussion Boards and PM me (my username is ‘nickfromdc’) with the same information.

Beta Testing

I’ve been charged with reviewing the new FON router, the La Fonera+, as part of a beta testing program from FON. While the current product I’m testing is available, I am here to provide my opinion on the new hardware.Before I begin, I feel I should address why I am, in essence, advertising for FON on my website.

For starters, I am really taken by the concept of an international wireless network community. While the network is not as extensive in the U.S. as it is in Europe, I have a strong interest in seeing network growth. Which leads me to my second motivation: financial gain. While I will never be able to retire off of what I make selling access to aliens, any small offset I can apply towards the cost of my internet access makes me happy.

Now, on to the review. The first thing I noticed about the new La Fonera+ is the substantial difference in size between the new box. I’ve been using the old ‘La Fonera’ router for some time now, and while I’m impressed with the little guy, I must say that it has a couple of inconvenient features, mainly related to the compact nature of the box. The most glaring feature was the lack of an interface to the router other than wireless. This meant that the La Fonera was not the most suitable all-in-one router on the market, since any wired interfaces were shutout of the system.

The La Fonera+ adds an ethernet LAN port to the device, expanding its usefulness as an all-in-one router. Although there is only one port, and thus only one device can be connected, users who need a more complete LAN system can always connect a hub or switch to expand the ethernet portion of the network (I am, of course, speculating as to the La Fonera+’s ability to support such a network load, but I think I am being reasonable in this department).Now, one complaint that I have of the ‘La Fonera+’ is that, like its predecessor, it has a very simplified set of administrator controls. However, unlike its predecessor, this limitation cannot be overcome. Using the Francofon firmware, I was able to tweak my original FON box to give me a bit more information about my router’s status, along with some other controls and features.

Also absent is the ability for the administrator to change the DNS server issued to the user. I, along with other users, have had trouble with FONs DNS server before. I also prefer to use OpenDNS as my solution, given its many protective and useful features. I don’t mind visiting Foneros having to use the FON DNS server; I resent not being able to use it on MyPlace.

I am presently shifting most of my network traffic over to the new device to stress test it. I’ll continue to report on my experience. 

Update: 8 fév 2008

I’ve been testing the La Fonera+ box for a couple months now, and I have mixed feelings about it.  I do like the box for its size, convenience, and simplicity.  However, I am rather disappointed in the reliability of the device.  At times, the box chugs along quite smoothly, going for days without an issue.  Other times, however, the device will drop all wireless traffic, and, even after rebooting, will only work for small time periods before having the same issue.  To date, there is no word from FON about this issue.