Community Hardware-Pool

As a community, we have a whole bunch of donated hardware just waiting to be installed at the next Freifunk location. Additionally, we have some funds available to purchase new devices. The hardware is available to anyone looking to improve the expansion and stability of the Freifunk network. There are two procedures for allocating hardware:

A: Simple Request link

For requests for devices of low value or requests that clearly align with the stated goals, you can use this procedure. This is designed to address simple requests without bureaucratic hassle. The decision on whether you will receive the hardware lies with the people who have key access to the storage. You can submit your request in the FF-Room chat. The chat description specifies who has key access. Any further details will be clarified in the chat. Here are some guidelines for simple requests:

• Cheap or old devices are acceptable for private locations
• Always try to provide near field access points
• Use Procedure B for any uncertainties

B: Community Vote link

For large requests with significant value, there is the procedure of community voting. This ensures that the decision regarding the allocation of hardware is made by several people. Additionally, this allows for comments on the request while it is still open. You need to create an Issue to initiate a community vote request. You can only create one issue per location at a time. The decision about accepting hardware requests is made by active members of the community. Specifically, this means everyone who is part of the organization Freifunk-Berlin on GitHub, except for the person who opened the request. Discussions about the requests can take place in the comments of the issue or at the next Freifunk meeting. Once there are two approvals (👍) on the issue, it is accepted. If there aren’t enough approvals after one month or if there are two rejections (👎), the request will be denied.

Device Selection link

To find the suitable device for your use case, you can check the community inventory. If you don’t find what you need there, you can search for a suitable product in these shops:

• Getic
• Obeta
• Reichelt
• Rubytech
• Senetic
• FS

Donations link

We need money in the community fund to continue acquiring new hardware. Therefore, we kindly ask that if you use community hardware, you also leave a donation. This can be done either in the cash box on-site or through the Freifunk donation campaign.

We are also always happy to receive hardware donations that we can use to refill our stock. Please make sure that the hardware is still useful for Freifunk. See our recommendations for more information.

Transparency link

Especially the allocation procedure A is based on trust within the community. It is important that decisions are documented in a transparent manner. This allows for discussions and evaluations so we can align our expectations. For this purpose, every Community Day will include a report on the decisions made over the past six months. If necessary, adjustments to the allocation regulations can be discussed directly.

Inventory link