The Solar Powered Neighborhood Wi-Fi Network

Citywide Wi-Fi access is still a far-away dream for most of us, although some companies in the US are working hard to create the first networks of this magnitude. However, neighborhood-wide Wi-Fi networks are a much more tangible concept and the setup of such a network might become even easier on the future, as a company called Meraki has introduced what they tout to be the world's first "Solar Powered Outdoor WiFi Access Kit".

As Gizmodo reports, Meraki, a start-up based in Mountain View, California (yeah, they're Google's neighbors) announced a system formed out of an outdoor repeater and a solar accessory, which will be able to deliver a Wi-Fi signal (mesh topology) at a distance of up to 700 feet (around 215 meters). Moreover, besides offering such a wide signal range, the repeater doesn't have to be connected to an electrical source, as it will draw all its necessary power from the attached solar panel. Once connected, Meraki Solar's power usage can be distributed throughout the day and managed by the Meraki Dashboard service ensuring the repeater is powered during peak usage times.

According to the company's statement, the Meraki Outdoor repeater supports high gain and directional antennas and works with other Meraki repeaters, thus being able to create some pretty robust wireless networks. It's made from waterproof plastic (it can be left outside in any kind of weather), has a dual SSID system that supports public and private networks on the same connection and also comes with 2 x 100Mbit Ethernet ports. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, it has a range of around 215 meters but, if used together with an amplifying antenna, it can reach out as far as a whooping 28 kilometers (around 18 miles).

The Meraki outdoor solar-powered repeater will be available for the general public later on this summer, at an estimated price of around 100 US dollars (quite a bargain for such an useful device).

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