The NoCat Wireless Access Point/Night Light

cascadefx writes "O'Reilly's Hacks page has a really great article about a wireless access point that was on display at the recent Emerging Technology Conference. The folks at NoCat.net rigged up a Siemens Speedstream series access point with a low power ultraviolet light to create a wireless lightbulb. Just screw it in place and combine powerline ethernet with a wireless network... and a light, to create a wireless lightbulb. Ubiquitous networking, here we come."

Comments

Obvious, but...

[GoRK]

This might seem obvious, but since the network would only work when the lights are on, this would be something of a problem for a very large number of applications where this might actually be of use; for instance, in outdoor spaces where the lights are off during daylight hours.

A workaround, I suppose would be to have a relay in the unit capable of switching the light on and off via network control, X10, or similar while the actual circut remains operational. That would be a likely needed feature on any commercial unit.

~GoRK

Not a wireless lightbulb at all...

[sleadlay]

It's an accesspoint that's hardwired into a lamp base alongside a fluorescent (not UV) lamp bulb.

Receives electricity plus ethernet data from the existing lighting circuit.

Nothing new here... carry on.

Wireless ! But where is wireless internet access?

[zymano]

Because of the cable and phone monopolies we can't get shit done.

Fiber to the home is too expensive.

Why not dishes from our houses to a main receiving dish. Much like satellite setups. Don't understand why this is taking so long.

really great?

[Anonymous Coward]

it's a couple pieces of off-the-shelf hardware doing what they were designed to do. what's 'really great' about the article? there are no hacks involved in using hardware for its designed purpose.

Wire

[stratjakt]

Pulling wire is the most fulfilling home improvement project you can undertake.

When you realize you can have gigabit capability in any room in the house, even the never-used bathroom in the addition, let me tell you, it's a great feeling.

Of course I have gigabit capability, but not enough bananas for a 32 ports of gigabit switching goodness on my rack. But even my 10mbit/100mbit hybrid of discarded switches from the office beats the unreliable 802.11 bulldink.

WAP, Shmap.

Wires are where it's at.

No UV, solving nonexistant problem, fire hazard

[SuperBanana]

low power ultraviolet light

I just read the article quickly- there's absolutely nothing about a UV light.

That is a regular FL bulb, and though the slashdot story seems to suggest/imply it, the light itself is not being used in any way/shape/form for data transmission/reception. This is simply "toss a small AP inside a tupperware bowl and add a FL light." Wow, what brilliance(pardon the pun.)

I see this as solving a problem that doesn't exist- it takes an electrician all of 15 minutes to add a plug off an existing junction box if you want the AP up high by your lights, and with 802.11g, you can cover an entire cafe from practically any wall socket in the place.

Continuing with the "truly a stupid idea" bit, FL tube bulbs like that get VERY hot(almost as hot as a regular bulb). Cooping one up in a tupperware bowl is a damn fine way to start a fire, or at least kill both components- probably the AP first; if it's electronics don't give out, the transformer's thermal fuse will(that's if it has one- many cheap transformers don't, and will happily melt down, short when the insultation melts, and start a fire.) The UL would die laughing at anyone who even tried to submit it for testing...

Re:No UV, solving nonexistant problem, fire hazard

[cgenman]

Actually, Flourescent lighting doesn't get anywhere near as hot as filament lighting.

Using the old finger-o-meter, of the three spread spectrum flourescent lights running in the apartment currently, all three can be touched for 5 seconds before the onset of physical discomfort. The relative lumen to filament conversion puts them at 60 watts, 60 watts, and 90 watts.

Tupperware is also very difficult to set on fire, being plastic. That doesn't mean it is incapable of becoming so hot as to cause a system outage, but fire would not be the primary consideration.

The cool idea is not the use of UV light as a transmittive medium, but the realization that you can put a wireless access point in a perfect location by combining a powerline ethernet circuit and your overhead lighting system. Now, whether or not that will bake your electronics is unimportant, as this is a "neat idea" rather than a "revolutionary product."

Still, neat idea.

Love the HHGTTG GUI

[billstewart]

"Its this wild colour scheme that freaks me, you know.
When you press one of these black buttons that are labeled
in black on a black background, a little black light lights
up black to let you know you've done it!" - Zaphod.

As various people have pointed out, the light bulb is a fluorescent, not a UV bulb, and the network stuff isn't there to control the light - the network stuff is there to provide 802.11 to the big room, and the light fixture was the convenient place to mount it.

Re:Wireless lightbulb?

[bill_mcgonigle]

Watch out - you might get sued for stealing power.

Some people run lots of wire in their backyards and induce a current from the high tension wire's field to provide 'supplemental' power to their houses.

The power company says it's stealing, on the basis that they're only creating a magnetic field, not providing you with current, so when you harvest the current, you're creating a loss for them.

While that may be true, some point out that they're allowed to induce a current in you, your kids, and your dog but you're not allowed to induce a current in anything you own, a seemingly skewed state of affairs.