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HarborLink Network News & Events
December 28, 2006
Vandalia Offers Free Net
Access
The city goes
live with a public access
system and plans to grow the
network in the coming
months.
By Bethany
Meisinger-Reiff
Contributing
Writer
Dayton Daily News
VANDALIA, OH | Vandalia
has gone live — at least in
the world of public wireless
Internet access.
The service went live on
Dec. 2 with a cross-section
of coverage in the downtown
business district and along
Dixie Drive. Users with a
browser and a wireless card
can now access the Internet
at no cost, so long as they
are within range of one of
the four access points
located at the Rec Center
and on National Road between
Ranchview and Dixie Drives.
An individual stopping for a
bite to eat downtown can
sign on and read the news,
check e-mail and — as the
city administration hopes —
learn more about Vandalia
and its services via the
city Web site.
The city has contracted with
HarborLink, the same company
providing access at the
Dayton International Airport
and in downtown Dayton, to
bring the service to
Vandalia. HarborLink is in
talks with surrounding
communities, but Vandalia
has the distinction of being
the first Dayton suburb to
provide this service.
"Pretty much things have
gone as planned," said
Darren Davey, Vandalia
information technology
manager. "We've been working
to make sure we've got this
positioned in the right
places."
The service is paid for with
advertisements from local
and national companies that
are carefully screened for
adult content, said Travis
Tangeman, chief technology
officer for HarborLink.
There is no cost to the city
or to users.
The city expects to grow the
network in the coming
months, with up to five
additional access points
planned.
Before firing up the laptops
and personal digital
assistants, users should
take note that the system is
not a secure network,
meaning that anything viewed
or transmitted can
potentially be accessed by
others. That translates to
casual Internet and email
usage being of low risk for
prying eyes, but users may
want to consider using a
secure network for their
Internet banking and other
security-minded activities.
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