[Freedombox-discuss] FreedomBox Stack quick question

[John Walsh]

 Hi Sandy,

> On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 5:05 PM, John Walsh 
> <fiftyfour at waldevin.com> wrote:
> 
> > 1) Does this mean each layer is independent of each other?
> 
> That is the whole point of layers. Applications just use TCP 
> or UDP; they need not care about anything below that. TCP and 
> UDP use IP; they need not care about things below that.
> 
> For IP, each machine needs the low-level drivers for each 
> network it connects to directly. For example, a plug computer 
> might need ethernet, PPPoE and wireless. However, it does not 
> need to know about all the other link layer stuff -- phone 
> company fiber, undersea cables, satellites, ... -- it just 
> uses IP and the routers attached to those links know how to use them.
Thanks, I just needed confirmation, otherwise I would be getting the wrong
end of the stick.

> 
> > 2) Does this mean we can release FBX and then do an upgrade 
> through a 
> > click of the button like Firefox to add networking?
> 
> You cannot add "networking" that way, since you need a 
> network to do it.
> You could add new drivers that way. Or new protocols. For 
> example, by default a Box might just be able to access a 
> wireless network. You could add the ability to be an access 
> point for others, or to do mesh networking, that way.
Thanks again. You read my mind!! I was wondering if the project had to get
mesh networking/an anonymous FBX network right before releasing FBX, but now
I know FBX can use the existing DNS network (with all it's warts) and
release the FBX Next-Gen network at a later date. It's a relief to know it's
not an all or nothing option because reading other threads it looks like the
FBX network is a tough problem to solve.

Sweet

-- fiftyfour