Here is why I brought up the outreach and securing access points. I've been passively scanning the Minneapolis/St. Paul area and suburbs with my laptop while I'm driving and/or walking from here to there. So far, I have found 1329 access points that are not secured and 954 access points that are secured. Not all of the AP's are left at the default settings, most have changed the ESSID. I have not tried associating to any of the access points so I only know they are broadcasting packets on 2.4 GHz bandwidth. These access points would be an amazing resource to TCWUG if the owners of the AP's can be found and would be willing to work with us. Maybe TCWUG can work with one neighborhood at a time and see if TCWUG can get that neighborhood setup with wireless internet access? I'm working on some information that can be left out in public locations or posted to poles relating to the group. I'll be posting some to the list here soon. TCWUG should be an information source not an implementation source. I believe that TCWUG should be making recommendations and/or coordinating wireless networking in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Loring Park is a good PR project but TCWUG currently do not have an overabundance of people participating. As far as securing access points, TCWUG should be informing people that they should implement some form of security and inform them of the risk if they do not. Security does add a level of complexity that is sometimes unnecessary. I'm not sure if security is more like insurance or an anti-virus, you do not really need either but when you do it's a little too late. I do not think it is possible for TCWUG can take it upon itself to implement security for everyone in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Thanks, Andrew _______________________________________________ Twin Cities Wireless Users Group Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota http://www.tcwug.org tcwug-list at tcwug.org https://mailman.real-time.com/mailman/listinfo/tcwug-list