Internet on Wheels

Intro: Internet on Wheels

Need Internet on the go? Grab some 22" rims and get online.

If you don't have a pimped out ride or the chicks, this is where this instructable comes in. =)
The concept:
wireless router + wheels - wallplug= myspace everywhere!

Here is the wireless router I used and deconstructed: Wireless Deconstruction

Now this is the result of the reconstruction! But it is not completely finished, I still need to mess with the firmware. As of now the product is jus a physical manifestation of the idea of mobile network.
There is also a similar project, WiFi.Bedouin, worth looking by Julian Bleecher. It utilizes network as art, so without cluttering too much room, here is the link: WiFi.Bedouin

So there are two parts to this.... the wagon that houses all the electronics and the electronics themselves.
I chose wood as the medium for the wagon because it is easier to assemble, compared to, say, aluminium or whatever.
As for the router... any idiot can make it run on a 12 volt battery, but to really utilize it in a way that it can receive and boost wireless internet signals, then you will have to go into the firmware. Right now this is an instructable more about the assembly of the project. If you can make it work, drop some comments!

STEP 1: Supplies, Equipment, Ingredients...

There are two sections to the project. First we go into the building of the wagon on wheels that houses the electronics and the other is hooking up the actual electronics.

First the supplies for the wagon I used are:
A piece of plywood (for the platform of the chassis), an axle (wood/copper whatever you can work with), a plank of wood that I used to work with for the miscellaneous parts of the wagon, four lawnmower wheels, some wood screws, and hooks (to anchor the rubberbands).

Some of the tools that made things work:
drill, bits, handsaw, straightedge, measuring tape, and of course a pencil.

The electronics:
12volt battery, inverter, wireless router, and maybe a battery charger

I've got a Netgear WGU624, a 400watt inverter bought from Best Buy, and the 12 volt battery from Fry's


Now on to the wagon making...
Or if u already have a wagon, go on to connecting your router!

STEP 2: Getting the Assembly Parts.... From Scratch

When I took hold of my supplies, I obviously need to hack away wood.

So here it is, using the handsaw cut the needed pieces out of the wood.... the platform, the axle holders, axles, and the sides for the wagon.

The platforms are pretty self explanatory, but here I am cutting out the part where this is needed to hold the axle in place onto the chassis/platform.

And since I dont have a big enough bit to drill a hole that fits the wooden axle, I have to cut several holes and fashion a really rough circle out of a small block of wood.

These pictures are pretty self explanatory... mark your spots, drill, and make holes... and yes this is the best I could do.

STEP 3: All Done With the Parts

Here are the parts all laid out and spray painted.
Took me, a novice woodcutter, hours on end to get this all laid out.

From left to right, top to bottom:
1 chassis platform, 2 side panels, 4 axle holders, 2 front/back panels, and 2 axles.

STEP 4: Putting Together the a Box

Just like as you would do when putting together Ikea chairs or whatnot: drill, screw and everything will come together.

In this step... Connect the axles to the wheels:

Originally I thought I could screw the wheels directly onto the axles. Unfortunately, the diameter of the axles is bigger than the hole of the wheels would allow. So I screw together a plastic cap that came with the wheels onto the axle, and they fit snuggly together.

In my case, because the hole in my axle holders are small, I slid the axle holders onto the axle before I attach both wheels. So two wheels and two axle holders on one axle.

Next for the rear wheels, do everything the same as above, but add the hooks on the axle holders and the wheels in whatever orientation works for the rubberbands.. the powerhouse of the car.

STEP 5: Attaching the Axle Parts to the Chassis

Time to put things together!

Make sure you dont mess this up. It takes mathmatical genius to get this accurate unless you have really good hand eye coordination... which was what I did. Eyeballing works, only if you are good at it.

STEP 6: Panels for the Wagon

Flip the whole thing upside down, and start connecting the panels to the chassis. Why this step? Because your electronics need a little basket to anchor itself as it moves.

STEP 7: It All Comes Together

Now that the wagon is done and moving, here comes the electronics.
Here is the diagram you need to connect your wirelessness:

battery ---> inverter ---> wireless router

For those who are clueless.... 12volt battery can go to a 400 watt inverter (depending on the power needed for the router, bigger the better) which allows the router to plug right in.

Now there are many ways to do this, and I have to admit this is the more expensive route, but it's quick and almost foolproof. If you can solder the wires directly from the battery to the router (getting rid of the middleman) then you don't even need this instructable!!!

Anyways here is my setup as my final product.

Comments

[wintergoat]

What is the point of a 400 watt inverter??? You could easily run 2 routers off a cheapo 30 watt one!

[AdrianReef]

did you ALL forgot that a router need a ACCESS TO THE NET ??? this means a WIRE attached from your WALLS to it......... nothing else to say........

[Rimwulf]

A router can also connected through WiFi and provide a internet connection.
(i.e. DSL>>>Wireless Router>>>Gateway)

[beehard44]

Some modems actually use GPRS or 3G from an existing cellular service and turn that into wifi or wired LAN

[Meroki]

yea this is where the confusion hit me as well..... might as well just wifi leech with ur laptop

[Callum Snowden]

To power the router more efficiently, you might as well just power it directly off the 12v battery.

[ThinkBeforeYouSpeak]

i want a switch that links to the wireless internet and is wireless to transmit the signal farther.

[mjnhbg3]

You could sign up for $75 Hughes Net and attach it to the wagon.

[serwaa]

Is internet on wheels a sure way to access the internet?

[kidNeutrino]

Sweet wagon. Kudos on getting in to quick prototyping, too many people are too concerned with making that commercial project are slick and finished. Now you have a platform you can deploy and make projects What is next? Some kind of networked jam session?

[kentback]

beautifully done.

[joejoerowley]

Cool! Maybe I missed something but how do you get the internet now. From a cellular modem? Thanks

[tekness]

Theoretically I was going to connect an antenna onto the input port (where the LAN from the modem would go), but that is not necessary cuz there is an antenna on the router that can receive and send signals. Now is just a matter of programming the firmware (software of the router) to manipulate it as a signal booster... which will be the next step to this project. Currently I am looking into it, and if you guys have any info on this feel free to post it up.

[xrobevansx]

So basically, it is a router with no signal and a battery/inverter. Update it when you figure out how to make it a repeater. Had it been linksys I'd say go here:
http://lifehacker.com/software/how-to/turn-your-wifi-router-into-a-repeater-265142.php

[xrobevansx]

My question too. What do you have? A reeeeaaaaaalllllllly long CAT5 cable from the modem to the router?

[tekness]

haha nah all the cables needed here are the power cords connecting to the inverter and the cables to the battery. I updated my instructable on the electronics. I used the Netgear WGU 624 wireless router.

[rabidpotatochip]

For that much trouble, I'd use at least CAT5e. =p

[computer_gui]

couldn't you just use a DC regulator? inverters are pretty inefficient and sense the router probably runs on 9-12 volts it seems like a much better option

[GorillazMiko]

Nice instructable! :-)

[!Andrew_Modder!]

cool :-)