Wireless Mesh Network based on cheap consumer routers

Question

I wanted to know if any such system already exists for the average open source user. With all of the net neutrality arguments around and with the cost of broadband likely to go up in the future. It seems like a good idea for a open source protocol which allows standard consumer routers to operate together and form a mesh network with other consumer routers close by. Likely possible that with enough nodes in a close enough proximity and a good abstraction we could get something good going.

Answer 1

You could always use WDS nodes (like a repeater, kinda).

I use it in my Buffalo AirStation with DD-WRT installed (any router that can load DD-WRT would work).

www.dd-wrt.com

Not sure on the scalability of it though. And the APs would have to be in reach of each other. They could run on separate SSIDs though.

Edit: here's the DD-WRT Wiki page about WDS: http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/WDS

Answer 2

Freifunk Luebeck uses D-Link 300 with batman-adv