Wireless internet access in
front of the Waag
Welcome on Waag Society's Wireless Network
Since June 2002 Waag Society operates a Wireless Network that offers free public internet access on the Nieuwmarkt place in Amsterdam. Within the range of coverage everyone wit a WiFi enabled notebook computer or PDA can surf the internet, e-mail or use other internet services. Waag Society offers this service in order to experiment with wireless public internet access. Access is unlimited ad free of charge. On this website we give information about the technical requirements to use the service, the area covered by our network and the technologies that were used to construct the network. We cannot offer additional technological support.
What exactly is a wireless network?
Our network operates on the basis of the IEEE 802.11b and 802.11g standard for wireless local area networks. This standard is also known as WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WiFi (short for Wireless Fidelity) or Airport (Apple's brand name). WiFi technology makes it possible to replace local, cable based computer networks by wireless ones that work on the basis of radio signals. Wireless networks can be used for the communication between computers within a local network or to connect multiple computers with a shared internet gateway. In order to communicate wit a wireless network a computer needs to be equipped with a 802.11b/g compatible network interface (build-in, or in the form of an extension card or USB adapter). This interface communicates by radio signals (in the free 2.4Ghz band) with an access point. The range of 'out of the box' wireless products varies between a maximum of 100 meters (outside, with a free line of sight) and 10 meters (inside buildings). By using multiple access points and/or antennas this range can be extended significantly.