
What we’re about
The Seattle Community Network (SCN) is a DIY, community-run, nonprofit Internet access network serving underserved neighborhoods and marginalized groups in the Puget Sound. Working with City of Seattle IT, Seattle Public Schools IT, the University of Washington, and a coalition of local organizations including the Black Brilliance Research Project, The Silent Task Force, and EEC-WA, we install wireless networks on rooftops of community buildings, and add home and mobile users in those neighborhoods. Join us to help provide better and more open Internet access to our local communities!
SCN strives to provide low-income and in-need users with free or low-cost Internet service by running open-source 4G LTE software and commodity radio hardware in the general-access tier of the 3.5-3.7 GHz (Citizens’ Broadband Radio Service) frequency band. Our group is largely volunteer-led, and our primary goals include community education, job training, and empowerment as well as connectivity and digital equity.
We organize a monthly community meeting at the Filipino Community Center on third Mondays and a Hack Night on third Fridays. Drop by to meet us in person!
For more information about SCN, visit this link here!
Our current site locations are:
- Garfield High School
- Franklin High School
- Filipino Community Center
- Oromo Cultural Center
- Skyway Library
- SurgeTacoma
- Tacoma Public Library Main Branch
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- SCN Hack NightFilipino Community Center, Seattle, WA
PLEASE NOTE: Final location is at the Filipino Community Center Integrated Learning Center (Makerspace).
The Event:
We'd love to get Seattle Community Network (SCN) community members and volunteers “hacking” on radio and network-related mini-projects.Learn how our SCN 4G LTE cell sites are set up and how to attach a user device to the network; flash a router's firmware; practice crimping Ethernet cables; investigate networking protocols using a variety of wireless sniffers, packet captures, and Wireshark; play with wireless point-to-point radios; help us unlock a carrier-locked LTE device; dig deep into 4G or 5G cellular protocols; help out SCN with configuration tools for making installs easier, or with adding critical features to our network monitoring infrastructure! This can be a chance to get some hands-on experience playing around with networking equipment, and/or chat and make progress on your personal or SCN's projects with other cool folks :)
Program:
6:30 pm- arrive and eat pizza, brief informal intros and kickoff, subgroup/mini-project explanations/pitches
7:00 pm- good chaos
11:00 pm- wrap up and clean upSome proposed mini-projects:
- [Tech] Help us try to unlock a carrier-locked fixed-wireless LTE device!
- [Tech] Learn how we configure and attach user devices to the Seattle Community Network, and how to help test signal strength/coverage
- [Tech] Help us figure out how to automate monitoring the performance of our user devices' Internet connections, to make sure they are working well!
- [Tech] Investigate what kinds of wireless signals you can observe using an RTL-SDR, HackRF, or other SDR and Wireshark
- [Organizing] Help with site and network planning for expanding our coverage into further neighborhoods/communities!
- [Organizing] Chat about strategies for outreach, community organizing, and new volunteer onboarding processes for our organization!
- [Art] Help laser cut and use some stencils with the LCL or other partner logos! Even better, use your artistic skills to help design and propose a logo for SCN that we can vote/collaborate on.
- [Organizing] Help us update our website!
- Anything else you are interested in trying out!
- Seattle Community Network Community MeetingAda's Technical Books and Cafe, Seattle, WA
Monthly community meeting to discuss updates and next steps with the Seattle Community Network.
Socializing the hour after the meeting, official meeting time 6-7 pm! Zoom option available, register here for the link: http://tinyurl.com/SCNZoomReg
Our Gofundme: https://gofund.me/216b5fb9
- Seattle Community Network Community MeetingAda's Technical Books and Cafe, Seattle, WA
Monthly community meeting to discuss updates and next steps with the Seattle Community Network.
Socializing the hour after the meeting, official meeting time 6-7 pm! Zoom option available, register here for the link: http://tinyurl.com/SCNZoomReg
Our Gofundme: https://gofund.me/216b5fb9
- SCN Hack NightFilipino Community Center, Seattle, WA
PLEASE NOTE: Final location is at the Filipino Community Center Integrated Learning Center (Makerspace).
The Event:
We'd love to get Seattle Community Network (SCN) community members and volunteers “hacking” on radio and network-related mini-projects.Learn how our SCN 4G LTE cell sites are set up and how to attach a user device to the network; flash a router's firmware; practice crimping Ethernet cables; investigate networking protocols using a variety of wireless sniffers, packet captures, and Wireshark; play with wireless point-to-point radios; help us unlock a carrier-locked LTE device; dig deep into 4G or 5G cellular protocols; help out SCN with configuration tools for making installs easier, or with adding critical features to our network monitoring infrastructure! This can be a chance to get some hands-on experience playing around with networking equipment, and/or chat and make progress on your personal or SCN's projects with other cool folks :)
Program:
6:30 pm- arrive and eat pizza, brief informal intros and kickoff, subgroup/mini-project explanations/pitches
7:00 pm- good chaos
11:00 pm- wrap up and clean upSome proposed mini-projects:
- [Tech] Help us try to unlock a carrier-locked fixed-wireless LTE device!
- [Tech] Learn how we configure and attach user devices to the Seattle Community Network, and how to help test signal strength/coverage
- [Tech] Help us figure out how to automate monitoring the performance of our user devices' Internet connections, to make sure they are working well!
- [Tech] Investigate what kinds of wireless signals you can observe using an RTL-SDR, HackRF, or other SDR and Wireshark
- [Organizing] Help with site and network planning for expanding our coverage into further neighborhoods/communities!
- [Organizing] Chat about strategies for outreach, community organizing, and new volunteer onboarding processes for our organization!
- [Art] Help laser cut and use some stencils with the LCL or other partner logos! Even better, use your artistic skills to help design and propose a logo for SCN that we can vote/collaborate on.
- [Organizing] Help us update our website!
- Anything else you are interested in trying out!