Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Latest on Community-wide data systems

[normangauss (normangauss]

We abandoned a WiFi system last December.  The local Internet Service
Provider (ISP) could not give us the 24/7 support that Charter
Communications provides.  Our system consisted of bridges, which we had to
purchase, connected to each subscribers computer.  These bridges converted
the Ethernet cable signal on the computer to an 802.11b WiFi signal and
relayed it to a single shared access point on the common house.  This shared
access point meant that huge downloads (computer games, movies, books)
sometimes made the system unavailable to the rest of the community because
there was no way to control the volume, household-by-household.

Because we had various kinds of computers with various kinds of operating
systems we could not take advantage of the security features that are
possible with the 802.11b standard.  So we had a totally unencrypted signal
that anyone with a high gain antenna could read, including credit card
numbers for online purchases.

In addition, the bridges were constantly losing the signal because of
voltage surges (many people elected to not use voltage surge protectors).
Even with the protectors, the signal occasionally dropped and required
recycling and rebooting.  Also, the Wi-Fi signal was difficult to impossible
to transmit from certain locations because of metal in the walls or metal
fences.  It was a royal pain to maintain.

I was the trouble shooter of the system for a few months.  The previous
trouble shooter gave up because of the many baffling calls from distressed
subscribers.  I tried to fix some of them but soon found out that they were
difficult to impossible to fix in a reliable way.  After about two months of
increasingly unhappy subscribers, we finally gave up.

We are now contracting with Charter for service under a business
bulk-service arrangement.  They provide the cable service to each of our
homes, but the company sends only one bill to the HOA.  We bill our own
members and collect the money, and send Charter just one check per month
instead of 36 checks.  So far, it has worked beautifully, but has required
us to sign a 5-year contract.

We hope that this 5-year contract will not cause us grief in the long run.

Norm Gauss
Oak Creek Commons
Paso Robles, CA


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Heinich" <robert_heinich [at] juno.com>
To: <cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org>
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 6:58 AM
Subject: Re: [C-L]_ Latest on Community-wide data systems


>
> >>> We hope to WiFi our system, since we're all located close together.
>
> As your hoomes are in the planning stages, why NOT planned a wired
network.  While WiFi is nice, wired is more reliable.  WiFi is still
troubled by 'problem' trees and rain.  I have NOT had any difficulties with
my internal wired network AND the community wireless network (maintained by
me) has been fussy.
>
> ============================================
> Robert Heinich
> Eno Commons Cohousing Neighborhood
> 9 Indigo Creek Trail / Durham, NC 27712-2564
> (e) robert_heinich [at] juno.com
>
>
> -- Joel Plotkin <joel [at] sunyit.edu> wrote:
>
>
> Dear folks:
>
> I've checked the archives on community data systems (cable TV and Internet
> access) and found the 1997 technical data very helpful, as well as the
2002
> information. Are there any list members who have more recent information
in
> this fast-moving field?
>
> Hundredfold Farm in Cashtown PA is a rural cohousing project with 14
planned
> homes. We'd like to find a way to get our data and TV without being
reliant on
> the big communication companies. Does anyone have experience with
community-
> owned satellite access? We have heard one opinion that direct satellite
links
> are undesirable for Internet access because they do not come with adequate
> firewalls (but this is from someone who subcontracts with the Pentagon).
What
> about the big dishes that were popular fifteen years ago for TV? They
required
> decoders, but not monthly maintenance fees. We hope to WiFi our system,
since
> we're all located close together.
>
> Reply on or off list.
> Joel Plotkin
>
>
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