Overall, the Internet is an egalitarian medium of communication for the free exchange of ideas, information, knowledge, gossip, and news. It is likely as profound an invention as the written word and widespread reading skill. It ensures dissemination of all kinds of data true and false, good and bad, of every degree between these extremes.

In the year 2003, the Internet is wired. It is something of a threat to peace, tranquility, and the power of governments because of its open nature that allows so many voices to be heard. It represents a loss of control. It will become more regulated and under surveillance by authoritarian organisations such as police and security services. Because it is wired, it is easy to insert control and surveillance technology in the main nodes, through which flows most of the data traffic; the Internet is not random connections; research shows that it is scale-free with most traffic passing through a few points. In scale-free networks it is much easier to identify who is doing what and suppress the activity. The Internet is a social network of great power.

In its present configuration, the Internet relies on a separate wired infrastructure. With advent of wireless network technology, this infrastructure could evolve into a more ad hoc entity, resistant to authoritarian control, in which users could maintain their anonymity. AdHocNet¹, would exist as a subnet independent of the main Internet. Indeed it does to a very limited extent in various places at this time.

AdHocNet

Envisioned as a wireless network of computers in a permanent state of flux, AdHocNet would exist as a critical mass of computing nodes independent of computers arriving and departing the network. In essence, the system would be self-healing and capable of waxing and waning.

New computers would bootstrap themselves into the matrix. Software model would be peer-to-peer similar to the music sharing model pioneered by Napster. AdHocNet would guarantee secure encrypted transmissions and anonymity of the user. Central servers would be nonexistent.

Network Connections

AdHocNet principal means of communication would be through wireless networking technology. Most of this technology is relatively inexpensive, low power, and omni-directional; hence the need for a large number of computing nodes to attain critical mass. However, longer distance directional connections may be made using simple high-gain antennas such as those built on Yagi arrays.

Secondary connections through the telephone network between adjacent local areas would be feasible in places where local ’phone service is free or very low cost; bandwidth limitations of the telephone network could be ameliorated by data routing through widely distributed multiple connections. Some connection to the main Internet would be accomodated as long as the AdHocNet protocols remain inviolate.

Computing Peers

Each peer, or computing node, that joins AdHocNet can be of any type as long as it is capable of running the AdHocNet software protocol. Best is the inexpensive computer in large numbers.

A range of giga-Hertz computers are now available in small form-factors that pack a significant punch. Mainboards such as the VIA EPIA-M C3, M10000 Nehemiah, on the Mini-ITX form-factor, are equipped with an amazing amount of capability. In addition, they are designed to produce little noise and consume less power than an ordinary domestic light bulb. Power consumption is usually less than 50 Watts at 12 volts DC. Cost of these devices is approximately €150.

AdHocNet wireless nodes built on Mini-ITX technology could be widely distributed independent of the Internet. Because these systems consume so little power, they can be operated from battery packs trickle charged by solar arrays.

Not only can AdHocNet be independent of the Internet, it can be independent of the electrical grid. And more resilient to attack if the software implementation is robust enough².