Bill Mongan

Bill Mongan

Professor, Author, Machine Learning Researcher, Educational Consultant, and Scholar of Teaching and Learning; Host: digitalsignature.fm

Blog Posts

2025

Setting Up AREDN on a Mikrotik hAp to use 44net

11 minute read

Published:

This guide will walk you through setting up a Mikrotik hAp device (I used a hAp ac2) to use 44net addresses, bridging AREDN and 44net services between the two networks. I set up the hAp to broadcast a WiFi hotspot SSID that, when connected to a client, enables access to both 44net and to AREDN resources simultaneously. I use 44net.cloud to route a network allocation they assigned to me through a Wireguard tunnel that they also assigned. The tunnel can be configured through their portal to route to the network. It is likely also possible to do this by decapsulating the ipencap packets from the raspberry pi directly, and using a traditional 44net subnet allocation, but this setup enables me to take the hAp setup to mobile deployments, without worring about the NAT configuration or my ability to forward ipencap traffic at my destination.

Setting Up 44net on a Mikrotik Using 44net.cloud for ipencap Forwarding

8 minute read

Published:

This guide will walk you through setting up a Mikrotik router with a 44net network allocation using Wireguard to 44net.cloud in order to receive ipip encapsulated packets from the UCSD 44net router. This way, you do not need to be able to forward these packets through your home router or have native IP Protocol 4 support to access 44net. In this setup, I used a Mikrotik hAp ac2 lite.

Setting Up HBLink for a Private DMR Network with HBlink

4 minute read

Published:

This guide walks you through setting up HBLink for a private DMR network, including configuring a Parrot (echo test) repeater and talkgroup. Ensure that you have administrative access to your server and basic knowledge of Python.

2023

Using ChatGPT to Write Code

7 minute read

Published:

I’ve been asked occasionally about my opinion about generative AI tools such as Chat GPT and their potential to disrupt the way we design and create. While I think there is a risk that fundamental knowledge and skill may erode as they are abstracted away by tools like these, I also think these tools create wonderful “jumping off points” for prototyping ideas. We still need a technically educated population to a) know what questions to ask, b) ask them in a precise way, and c) validate the results.

2022

Remake Learning Day: Equitable CS Education for Broader Workforce Preparation through Design Thinking and Ubiquitous Platforms

24 minute read

Published:

In this article, we will explore tools that enable students to leverage technology in informal contexts that facilitate problem solving in preparation for diverse workforce pathways. Technical solutions and automation aren’t just for Computer Science majors, and there exists a variety of platforms that support exploration and learning as well as productive applications of computing. Our goal is to democratize computing skillsets across all disciplines, and to give students the tools they need to bring computing and technology to their favorite subjects. This has the potential to enhance teaching and learning broadly, and to facilitate participation in computing with inexpensive (or free!) no-code or ubiquitous-code platforms.

2021

Replit in the Classroom

6 minute read

Published:

In this workshop, we will explore opportunities to utilize Replit in the classroom for both small classroom exercises and assignments. We will integrate Replit projects with additional tools and techniques including GitHub Classroom and POGIL instructional methods.

2020

Using GitHub Classroom

15 minute read

Published:

In this article, we’ll explore GitHub classroom as a tool to manage classroom assignments. GitHub classroom creates assignments that students “accept” as git repositories. They can work with their repository on any computer and synchronize or backup their work to the GitHub cloud. Using GitHub practices like Pull Requests, students can request help from the instructor and receive line-by-line feedback right in the repository, all while developing good habits in the use of git repositories. Instructors can automate downloading and grading through scripting or through the GitHub Classroom Assistant tool. In addition, assignments can be specified as group assignments, which create shared repositories as you organize students (or as they self-organize) into teams. GitHub classroom also allows you to tie your assignments to a “starter repository” in which you can post boilerplate materials or code, instructions, rubrics, and FAQs that you can evolve over time.

Using Git with GitHub

6 minute read

Published:

In this article, we’ll summarize some basic operations using the git version control system using the GitHub platform.

2019

Pop, The Question Podcast (S3-E19)

less than 1 minute read

Published:

I sat down with Dr. Melinda Lewis from the Penoni Honors College at Drexel University to talk about computing and its ubiquitous place in our culture, and the need for inclusivity in the field.

CSTA Philly

less than 1 minute read

Published:

Drexel is an institutional member of CSTA Philly, an active group in developing curriculum, sharing ideas, and broadening the reach of computing across educational disciplines.

2016