System and method for managing a wireless network community

A community management system in communication with a plurality of wireless access points via an Internet, wherein each wireless access pointed is owned by a user, the community management system comprising:

• a web server for interacting with the plurality of users and for allowing each of the plurality of users to register as a member of a network community;
• an authentication server;
• and
• a data store coupled to the web server and to the authentication server;
• wherein the community management system is configured to allow each registered member to register the wireless access point owned by the member and to control which of the other members is authorized to access the wireless access point owned with the member.

A method for managing a wireless network community, the method comprising:

• registering a plurality of users at a central management system, wherein at least one registered user owns at least one wireless access point;
• allowing the at least one registered user to set up access policies that indicate which of the other registered users is authorized to access a wireless access point owned by the at least one registered user;
• and
• storing the access polices associated with the wireless access point in a data storage at the central management system;
• wherein the central management system allows the at least one registered user to authorize other registered users to access the wireless access point owned by the user and in turn allows the at least one registered user to be authorized to use wireless access points owned by other of the at least one registered users, thereby effectively expanding each user's wireless communication capabilities.