Help The Daily Beagle Defeat Censorship
Got a spare router? Help us defeat authoritarianism!
The HighWire, run by Del Bigtree, asked Twitter why it was censoring pandemic information. Twitter responded by deleting their video:
If high fliers like HighWire are not immune to Twitter censorship, then you know for sure places like The Daily Beagle aren’t. In our previous article we put up a poll asking readers if they’d be interested in an extra article on How a Spare Router Can Help to Bypass Censorship. Fantastically, no-one voted no!
Is it something to do with articles like Not Climate Change: It Is Arson which the mainstream media are ultimately forced to verify?
We’re pleased to see reader support!
So, here’s the article you voted for:
How Spare Routers Can Defeat Censorship
In our Exclusive Q&A: Operation Freedom [Paid], The Daily Beagle spoke with Paid Subscribers on a hypothetical new approach on bypassing censorship, via the use of routers (spare or otherwise). Paid Subscribers liked the idea.
Here’s the lowdown.
All routers come with an ‘SSID’ (‘Service Set Identifier’), which is basically the network name. Examples below:
The Daily Beagle’s idea is simple: various people rename their router’s SSID to broadcast The Daily Beagle URL:
thedailybeagle.substack.comThe busier the area this is runs in, the more it will be seen! And all it requires is a spare router, WiFi hotspot or similar that you’re happy to rename! And it can’t be censored.
Individuals can also rename their active routers too, if they want, however you’ll need to re-connect all devices to it if you do that.
Great! Are There Any Limitations?
Yes. So local networks (the ones in the immediate vincinity) may ‘clash’ if they have the same network name. But there’s an easy work around: add a space anywhere to the url (even before or after!), or even write your own custom message flair like:
Visit The Daily Beagle @ SubstackThe shorter the length, the more likely it is to be visible on smaller devices.
Note, SSIDs have a length limit of between 31 to 32 characters.
Is There Some Way To Deploy This In Remote Areas?
The more engineering oriented among you might even be wondering if they could set up a semi-permanent installation somewhere busy. Just be aware you’ll be taking on risks and The Daily Beagle isn’t liable if anything happens to the installation.
That said, for the engineers among you, one possible set up is:
Sufficiently sized/rated solar panel
A 12v to 5v DC-to-DC stepdown converter (ideally one with a built-in USB port, and ideally rated for 2-3 amps on output). You can get those cheap somewhere like aliexpress.com
Note: DC-to-DC converter tolerances vary. Some may even have an input voltage range between ~6v to ~32v which means even 16v and 24v output solar panels are compatible.
An optional USB surge protector
A low power, cheap USB powered router (like the GL-MT300N-V2 Mango router). Anything powered by a USB port.
The electrically inclined might devise better setups. Merely a suggestion.
It is recommended to avoid lithium ion batteries in the setup, as the unstable and irregular voltage flows (normally corrected by a charge controller, absent in this setup) will damage and drastically shorten the lifespan of the battery. You don’t need 24/7 broadcasting power anyway.
In theory what it should do is boot up during the daytime when there’s solar power, then power-off at night. However, given the rigged nature, the voltages may damage the router, or the device may get stolen, so user assumes risk.
That said, you can just optionally run the device from the safety of your car or home.
Now Is More Important Than Ever
As tyranny encroaches, with reports of mandates being quietly rolled out again, Twitter censoring yet more accounts, and government persecuting political parties and lawyers, now is the time to fight back against tyranny!
Thank you for taking the time to read this extra article, and we appreciate any and all help we can get from our readers to fight back against the oppressive cubby hole we’ve been forced into!
Poll
Found this informative? Receive more for free!
Raise awareness?
Come join us on Element!
What do you think, dear reader?