You'll need to define what exactly you mean by "backup internet" and what degree of SHTF situation we're talking about.
An internet is just a bunch of connected computers. There's nothing particularly magical about it. But it does require some way to make the connections. And technical knowledge to set up and manage.
The reason you can send and retrieve data from a server on the other side of the planet in a fraction of a second is because there are massive bundles of fiber-optic cables running under the oceans, and data centers full of routing infrastructure to manage the connections. If your SHTF situation involves all that going away, well, then it's gone, and there's no backup, short of rebuilding it all.
If all you're after is a local network between computers in your household, then chances are you already have that. A wireless router will let all connected computers talk to each other, even when not connected to The Internet™, by using the local area network IPs (typically 192.168.x.x) it assigns. You just need to learn how to use it and make the most of it.
If you want something bigger, like connecting your whole neighborhood, you will need more routers, to connect to each other and to your neighbors' routers, and a lot of ethernet cables to connect them all. Scale up as you please. That's all the internet really is: a bunch of routers connected by a bunch of cables.
Terms to search for are: Self-hosting, LAN, WLAN, WAN, and generally computer networking.
Also, tangentially, if you look up Raspberry Pi, you will find a whole ecosystem of how to run and host all sorts of things on your home network, on very cheap hardware.
If it ends up with how to anally insert a zip drive, in order to hide it from terminator robots, then the power isn’t going to be coming back on in our lifetime, anyway.
[ - ] x0x7 1 point 1.8 yearsAug 13, 2022 09:17:04 ago (+1/-0)
This is true. Backup power is far more important that backup internet. When the internet dies you will have enough free time to build an internet and the demand for it among your neighbors will be at its peak so if you'd ever get sufficient participants it will be then.
It's not like consumer electronics like routers are going to vanish and with their temporary less utility getting access to equipment will be easy. Really the more pressing bottle neck is the community economics to support the right equipment getting into the right hands to improve the situation. If there is anything to set up now it's swap meets and flea markets so that your community is already familiar with exchanging with itself.
[ + ] GloryBeckons
[ - ] GloryBeckons 2 points 1.8 yearsAug 13, 2022 04:37:43 ago (+2/-0)
An internet is just a bunch of connected computers. There's nothing particularly magical about it. But it does require some way to make the connections. And technical knowledge to set up and manage.
The reason you can send and retrieve data from a server on the other side of the planet in a fraction of a second is because there are massive bundles of fiber-optic cables running under the oceans, and data centers full of routing infrastructure to manage the connections. If your SHTF situation involves all that going away, well, then it's gone, and there's no backup, short of rebuilding it all.
If all you're after is a local network between computers in your household, then chances are you already have that. A wireless router will let all connected computers talk to each other, even when not connected to The Internet™, by using the local area network IPs (typically 192.168.x.x) it assigns. You just need to learn how to use it and make the most of it.
If you want something bigger, like connecting your whole neighborhood, you will need more routers, to connect to each other and to your neighbors' routers, and a lot of ethernet cables to connect them all. Scale up as you please. That's all the internet really is: a bunch of routers connected by a bunch of cables.
Terms to search for are: Self-hosting, LAN, WLAN, WAN, and generally computer networking.
Also, tangentially, if you look up Raspberry Pi, you will find a whole ecosystem of how to run and host all sorts of things on your home network, on very cheap hardware.
[ + ] Crackinjokes
[ - ] Crackinjokes 1 point 1.8 yearsAug 13, 2022 05:07:20 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Crackinjokes
[ - ] Crackinjokes 1 point 1.8 yearsAug 13, 2022 05:06:50 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] Crackinjokes
[ - ] Crackinjokes 1 point 1.8 yearsAug 13, 2022 05:03:45 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] PrincessRobotBubblegum
[ - ] PrincessRobotBubblegum 1 point 1.8 yearsAug 13, 2022 03:37:14 ago (+1/-0)
[ + ] x0x7
[ - ] x0x7 1 point 1.8 yearsAug 13, 2022 09:17:04 ago (+1/-0)
It's not like consumer electronics like routers are going to vanish and with their temporary less utility getting access to equipment will be easy. Really the more pressing bottle neck is the community economics to support the right equipment getting into the right hands to improve the situation. If there is anything to set up now it's swap meets and flea markets so that your community is already familiar with exchanging with itself.