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Build a Proof of Concept : Internet Power-Hub. Get Free Internet

Extend your network, create a private sub-network, provide wireless functionality to non-wireless devices, redistribute a public signal, or encrypt your connection to protect your privacy. - These are a few of the abilities of the POC and benefits of having one.
This guide describes it's uses and explains how you can easily make your own for cheap.

A Proof-of-Concept acts as a single point-of-connection that allows you to use an existing wireless signal to provide an active internet connection to any or all of your 'internet-friendly' devices. It can be used to provide free internet to your home if there are public (unencrypted) wifi signals in the area. It is illegal to connect to a private/encrypted network without the owners consent however public/unencrypted networks are legal and free to use.

The guide is rather long and includes a number of images and screen-shots so here is a direct link to the full guide and additional information : http://allianceonline.info/poc
http://allianceonline.info/poc

I have also attached diagram to display how it works.

8 comments

Sep 27, 2011. 9:52 AMpraiser2005 says:

Y not use the poc as the router and run it to an inexpensive switch?

Oct 21, 2011. 7:36 PMmaxalliance (author) says:

You can, using a 3rd party software like NAT32 also helps. The internal router is to create a private sub-network with all the functionality usually provided by a standard router. Using a POC allows you to change things about the network and it's behavior that are otherwise unavailable.

Sep 18, 2011. 7:33 PMdcastor says:

I'm curious why you didn't just use a wireless router configured as a wireless bridge. I don't know that a stock linksys has the option, but flashing with DD-WRT, I know it does. Lots smaller and less complicated than your POC.

Oct 21, 2011. 7:34 PMmaxalliance (author) says:

As mentioned, it's functionality is similar to that of a wireless repeater / bridge but the POC is much more configurable and is capable of much more than the standard router. A list of possible uses are displayed on the POC site - not all of which are supported by the standard router.

Aug 22, 2011. 1:00 PMsyco123 says:

Just because it's unencrypted doesn't mean it's free to use. In some places it's a felony. People have been prosecuted under this law in the US
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/18/1030.html

Like this fella a while back
http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2006/03/6447.ars

Chances of getting caught are tiny, especially these days, as just because I'm sitting outside someones house surfing the net on my laptop doesn't mean I'm ripping their signal, I use my android phone to wifi tether these days.

However you are giving legal advice when you really shouldn't. And with that I advise anyone reading this to find out the applicable law for their region. I'm not a Lawyer, and this post isn't legal advice!

Jul 10, 2011. 8:38 PMebloom says:

Looks easy enough, I'm going to build one. Has anyone else made one of these? Can I use any router for it?

Jul 11, 2011. 11:11 AMmaxalliance (author) says:

Yup. Any router should work as long as it allows you to set a static IP address for the internet (WAN port). This is a pretty standard function and is available in any router that I've used. In the POCs in the images, I am using 2 different d-link routers.