Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Internet Connectivity

[Sharon Villines (sharon]

> On Jan 26, 2024, at 3:02 PM, Edwin Simmers <edwinsimmers [at] bellcoho.com> 
> wrote:

> Phones, tablets, computers, TVs, and automated equipment are now universally 
> WiFi-based to the degree that there may be little or no need to use 
> hard-wired Ethernet cabling in your units. Use the money that you would 
> otherwise spend on wires to ensure you have a robust wireless system 
> throughout your community.

We have gotten the same advice from consultants for at least 5 years. In 2000 
we wired each unit with cat-5 cable and began wondering in 2015 or so when we 
would need to replace it. The advice has been consistently ”never" — everything 
is going wireless. 

Our cat-5 wiring is still working but most people have installed wireless 
rather than using each of the 4-5 jacks in their units. Many people used their 
neighbor's wifi for years. The community has installed wifi’s centrally so 
internet is available all over the property. Now they are talking about 
something called a “mesh” which I think is interlinked wifi.

We have a common password for wifi routers so everyone can connect to anyone 
else’s wifi.

The smartest decision we made in 2000 was to provide internet service to 
everyone as part of the operating budget. It allows us to have much higher 
quality service at less cost. Occasionally it gets overloaded with people 
working at home who have to upload large numbers of files, but it isn’t 
frequent. Big gamers have their own service, however, because they don’t want 
to take any chance that their service will be unavailable or that they willl 
take down the community service. These are big gamers with 3 screens.

Sharon
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Sharon Villines
Takoma Village Cohousing, Washington DC
http://www.takomavillage.org