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ChuckDeaton
USA
373 Posts |
 Posted - 03/11/2003 : 23:11:21
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I use an omni directional on my truck; it has a length of LM400 cable with a connector that attaches to an Orinoco Gold NIC card. The NIC card fits in a slot in my laptop. The slot is standard issue. My truck is also wired using a Delorme GPS and a permently installed inverter.
I use a freeware program called Netstumbler to find wireless access points that I can use.
An example is that I can access the web from the parking lot of the Wendy’s in Pocahontas, AR. Once “on” I can send and receive email. As I use EFAX that means I can receive loss notices. I can also send anything that I would otherwise send or receive using Email.
As an I/A many of the losses I handled were investigated and reports, invoices, estimates, photos and sometimes magazine articles were on the examiners desk before I got back home. Most times within hours. Always within 24hrs.
Additionally, I use a Wireless network at my home. A properly equipped person can access the net from the street in front of my house.
This is taking the US by storm. Many cities have areas that are wireless enabled.
Just call Al Souza and tell him you want the same thing he sold Dave Hood. |
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katadj
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2003 : 09:15:22
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What it means is this:
Some of us choose to avail ourselves of the latest technology.
We spend the $400-$600 nesessary to equip the vehicle to support the system.
We take the time to investigate, read, join clubs, interact with others of like interests.
WE have the capacity to accept assignments, investigate losses and report the findings, including the photographs, to the vendor in a very timely manner.
We have seen the future, and "IT is Here"
Just as many have chosen paths to educate themselves in the various nuances of professionalism in their respective trades, we have also done this , with respect to our trade.
We do not hold this information to ourselves , but rather, have been making it available to anyone that cares to inquire, and often post here on CADO the information as it becomes available.
IMHO, You either Lead, Follow , or get the He!! out of the Way.
There will be a WI-FI class at the convention, with a limited attendance if anyone is interesetd.
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Edited by - katadj on 03/12/2003 09:19:23 |
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tomgriffin56
USA
88 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2003 : 10:55:08
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| Am I just looking for things or was that "IT is Here" an extremely oblique wordplay on Information Technology? Or perhaps an extended length of time exposing myself to the pundits and various yahoos on this site warping me in an unknowable direction? Am I now looking behind rosebushes for the HamBurglar? Have I been sitting at home for too long?------------------------------------------------------------Yep!!!!!!!!!!! |
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katadj
USA
315 Posts |
Posted - 03/12/2003 : 12:12:03
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Sorry bout that, Just a simple mistake.
But interesting concept: IT is appropriate, even if it was an error. |
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Gale
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 22:23:04
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Well I finally did it. Over the weekend I put in the D-Link AirPlus Xtreme G 2.4GHz Wireless Network. By late summer I should have fiber optic within 100 feet of my house so with only 100 foot of copper I should see some good DSL speeds but in the mean time I could get 256 K of bandwidth using a system the phone company refers to as CHARLIE so I did. In my case the DSL modem is actually about 5 miles away and a router mounted on the exterior wall just feeds a Cat 5 cable with an RJ 45 (RJ-48x to be technical) jack.
This means you have to take the cable to the point you want your computer and then go with a router from that point if you want 2 or more computers connected to the internet. I had them to drop me in about 25 foot of loose cable with a jack on the end of it through the same hole feeding in the phone line and after I plugged it in and made a connection they split.
After I had learned I could not at this time hook up the DSL modem (was not going have one at this time) at any phone jack I decided to go with a wireless system. The DI-624 router is in the basement and there are no computers are physically connected to it that has 4 jacks other than the one for the incoming DSL jack. Of course the basement is not idea place for the transmitter since higher is better but it is convenient.
In the two desktops I used the DWL-G520 PCI cards ($60 each) and the DWL-G650 card ($60) for my notebook and the number of the router again is DI-624 ($80 after $20 mail-in rebate). While I think the brand is good it was the best priced one they had of three brands at Office Depot. Just like technology prices in general these things are a fraction of what the old “B” technology was just a few years ago. $260 would not have bought the hardware for a “wired” system not so long ago.
Since I have never installed a network before I was somewhat concerned but it really was simple because it resolves the addresses and connects mainly by itself. The NB and one DT is on Windows 2000 and the other computer is about 7 years old and one 98 SE which is the oldest OS supported.
One thing that tripped me up was the Win 98 system but it was not all together an OS issue. The two PCI cards not the same version of hardware, one was an A version and the other one a B version of hardware and they required different drivers. Well I used the same CD to install the drivers for both before I caught the guy had handed me mixed versions of cards. On top of that I finally got the card to connect in the old 98 machine but the lights would never burn on the back of the card. The old sound card got upset when I moved it to a different slot and in fact would not set up unless the PCI wireless card was installed next to it so it was things like that that make the job longer than it should have taken. Today I went back to Office Depot and swapped the “A” for another “B” version of the hardware so now they match. It was not required but I will make updating drivers more simple in the future.
Now I can print over the network, which is cool. Downloading is OK, getting a rate of about 2 MB per minute. Even with the 256K limit of this “bridge” system called Charlie until they get full DSL on line it is over 10X faster than my 26K dialup speed. It is live all of the time it seems. Since I live a good distance from any neighbors and almost on the dead end of a road to nowhere I did not max out the security options but I would be OK with it in an apartment building from the options I saw in the set up procedure.
Even with the router sitting 3 foot off the basement floor I got connections close to 200 feet from the house but 100 foot was max when the signal was passing through more concrete. The position/angle of the antennas do make a difference. I question the software meter readings because the “A” card software showed connection at or near 100% where as the software with the “B” version of hardware showed more like 50% but the transfer rates stayed the same.
If you wanted the older 802.11b the equipment is cheap even new but used it has little cash value and if you live in town it is more secure just because of its limited range. The only real difference is computer-to-computer file transfers or sending a print job to another computer on the network. The 802.11b is as fast as email and web downloads I have read. The newer system may have more powerful software to make set-up easier.
From what I have seen this weekend I do think “wireless” will replace “wired” systems in new construction even in time but may gain even faster in current buildings that are not wired. With the repeaters (about $100) you can really push the distances if you can believe what you can read.
Hopefully this experience of mine can be of help if you are thinking about wireless for home or office. It is just much cheaper and easier than I ever thought based on my experience this weekend.
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ChuckDeaton
USA
373 Posts |
Posted - 01/11/2004 : 22:50:59
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I am sitting on the couch, writing this on a laptop which uses a 802.11b network.
Wireless rules. |
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Wally
USA
10 Posts |
Posted - 01/12/2004 : 00:48:36
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My wife, Louise and I have been wireless (802.11b) for a while now. It is great to not be tied to a location. However, the limiting factor was the printer. So, for Christmas, I bought Louise a print server. This hooks into the network (wired) and allows us to be free of the printer cables now.
HP sells a wired print server that costs about $75-$85 that will hook us 2 parallel port printers and one USB printer. (Check gateway for prices.)
So, the next storm we go to, our setup will be a wireless access point, 2 print servers and three printers along with two laptops. We also have e-fax so we can receive faxes (via e-mail) while we are on the roae. (Coming back from Va we stopped in Raligh NC at Kinko's, hooked into their network, downloaded our waiting fax and did a claim in Fort Walton Beach on the way home.)
Those things along with my GPS computer in the truck make life on the road a lot easier.
Regards,
Wally |
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Gale
USA
231 Posts |
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Gale
USA
231 Posts |
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AllCatMan
USA
39 Posts |
Posted - 01/17/2004 : 00:44:11
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Hey Chuck and Dave,
The Verizon air card Serria 555 is great. I checked my connection today at toast net...I was connected at 937kbs in my hotel room, bottom floor. the speed is great..and convience of mobile connectivity is great. Besides being faster..it does not tie up your hotel phone.
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Join in the Chat Room nightly 7cst/8est. |
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Internet Access
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