A PAN for a geek?

Hey All-

I’ve got this crazy idea to create my own PAN with a series of nodes connected via XBee’s (in API mode) to provide various services.

The first two nodes I’d like to build would be a GPS node and a GPRS node (each would be an Arduino/XBee combo), which would provide any other future projects with GPS data and the ability to send/receive data via GPRS.

Circumstances seem to have dictated the use of XBee Series 1 hardware, and I’m experimenting with the Digimesh firmware running in API mode.

So my question is as follows:

I’m pretty sure I’ll need a few additional nodes to help route signals (say the gps node is car mounted outside a brick building… I’d like to place a node in a Window in the building to help boost the range).

If this was the normal XBee firmware (ZNet?) I think this device would be called a router.

Can I create nodes that simply have an XBee and power supply in a box, and expect to deploy them to help extend the range of my PAN?

Any comments/suggestions about this sort of approach?

Thanks,

Brad.