[CS-FSLUG] wireless network in a disaster?

[Ron Thompson]

A question came to mind and your the best pool of expertise I know.

Before posing the question I'll set up a fictional situation.

A disaster is occurring, or has recently occurred.  In the disaster power is 
out and most or all of the ISPs are also out.  Other modes of communication 
such as telephone or cellphones are also out of service or operating at a 
reduced capacity.

Randomly scattered over the area are personal laptops, with a few hours of 
battery capacity, that have wireless network capability.

While cellphone services are the exclusive domain of private enterprise, 
personal networks are not.

The question is: Is it possible to set up an open wireless router in such a 
way that anyone who finds it could communicate to the host computer?   The 
internet isn't available so normal e-mail isn't available.

    Ron
-- 
Ron Thompson, |^|
Yellowknife, NT, Canada
"Who are are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their window?" Is 60:8