[Freedombox-discuss] Why FreedomBox would not be a router ?

[Charles N Wyble]

On 07/04/2011 07:57 PM, Marc Loupias wrote:
> Hello,
>
>
> If i understand well, you guys wants to make a simple computer (like a
> plug) behind the ISP box to deliver services for the user.

That is the first target yes. I envision a FreedomNode. One part
FreedomBox and one part byzantium mesh bits (see
http://wiki.hacdc.org/index.php/Byzantium for more). The server
component can be shipped very soon (I'm targeting a full release of my
data ownership/fbox stack on August 1st).

>
> Am i right ?
>
> If theses services have to be reachable on the WAN, how do you plan to
> manage the routing config on the ISP router ?

That's where things get messy. In a v4 world, one has UPNP. Or an
outbound vpn. Or....

>
> This is a major problem. Do you plan a specific implementation for
> each ISP box (using Telnet ?) ? Is this only feasible ?

No. My vision is that the FreedomBox tunnels out over v4 with a v6
address. Some sort of pppoe or something to let people get the same
address  every time... the FreeNetworkFoundation (of which I'm a
founding member) is working on the networking portion.
Byzantium/FreedomBox (together FreedomNode) are solving the user
equipment piece.

>
> In some ISP boxes, you cannot change the DNS server. Assuming that DNS
> filtering is the easiest measure for censorship (and often the first
> to be applied), a good way to avoid this is to run a DNS server on the
> Freedombox. But it will work only if the FB is a router, not if it is
> behind the ISP's router.

This is why one tunnels out.

>
> Recently i have searched on the web a DSL internal card to build my
> own router. And surprise, i was not been able to find any.

Really? http://wiki.sangoma.com/wanpipe-linux-atm-kernel-stack and
http://sangoma.com/products/hardware_products/data_networking/s518.html
for starters. Also some existing DSL modems can be hacked to run linux
(netgear has some models).
>
> Maybe the FB Foundation could solve this issue by producing a little
> piece of hardware.

An offshoot of the FNF (NodalIndustries) is in the process of building
FreedomNode as a shipped package.
>
> Another good thing would be to have a 56k modem in the FB for urgency
> situations. When the north african revolutions have occurred and
> governments have cut off the internet, the only way to access the rest
> of the world was the standard telephone network. It would be a very
> effective technique to avoid censorship.

I agree. Dialup is a no brainer.

>
> To summarize my point of view, i dont understand why you are
> discussing about the software part because the hardware part is
> critical and it is the hardest part to do. One person can handle the
> software part of this kind of project but for the hardware part it is
> just impossible. That's where i was thinking find the Freedombox
> Foundation and it seems i was wrong.

Yep. hardware is far harder to solve. Software piece should be done very
soon. I know I keep promising a release. I've just hired a full time
employee to finish up the release. (this is independent of
FNF/Nodal/Fbox foundation). It should be out very very very soon. Please
see http://wiki.knownelement.com/index.php?title=Data_Ownership for more
details. I've been one guy hacking on this stuff. Little bit each and
every day. Been about 18 months now. Almost completed.