In recent times, broad band Internet connectivity has become something presumed accessible to all, often shared throughout the home and between multiple users and devices. Despite the proliferation of online services this perceived ubiquity is unfortunately false, many are still unable to receive high quality Internet access within their homes, due to infrastructure restrictions or geographical problems. One solution is through the deployment of community networks to share Internet access, initiated, designed, and managed by ordinary people with little or no technical background. This thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the challenges faced by the users of such networks, and emphasises the importance of user focussed techniques when designing network management solutions for community settings. It investigates the ways in which communal networks can be improved by encouraging more formalised resource sharing, and how users can be aided to better understand their network usage through the design and implementation of an appropriate system.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:618556 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Bury, Sara Elizabeth |
| Publisher | Lancaster University |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
Page generated in 0.0016 seconds