Sometimes it seems like I work on anything that plugs in a wall: PC's, laptops, the phone system, the fax machine, the network, and overhead projectors, PC projectors, printers, copiers needing toners and drums. It really makes this job interesting. Although a lot of what I do I forget about soon afterward, there are a few projects I will not soon forget.
In Feb/Mar of 2008, I visited PIBC for 3 weeks to work on computer issues and to find out if I should come back more permanently. While I was here, the network connection from the Study Center to the PIBC office area just quit working one morning. Electronic equipment seem to do this regularly in this tough on electronic equipment location. The network cable was wired through conduits around the building (a very long way). In order to get the office back up on the Internet quickly, a wirless router was installed using a network cable wasn't being used at the moment.
The office was running on using wireless internet exclusively for over a year. It became evident that the office computers really need to be hardwired for shared data (I have received quite a number of comments about "SlowBooks" or "NoBooks"). Now Tim Plaxton has installed Cat 5 cables to the 4 most important PCs to network together and it then took a few hours to put the cable ends. Now I am told they have "FastBooks" and the Internet is quicker and more reliable.
Below is a picture of the entire office network hardware except for the cable modem. It consists of a wireless router, the 16 port switch, and a fan (this is Guam which is very tropical) to keep things cool.
Another project that has helped or Internet access is moving the MCV Cable from an office at the other end of the Administration/Classroom building to the office area. It is a long project that I will not soon forget.
A long time ago, MCV Cable was installed. At the time PIBC had the choice of underground conduit installation or overhead. Alas, the decision was made to go overhead (which was cheaper). This resulted in the pictures in my previous post showing the wire draped over roofs and sagging in the middle. MCV came and discovered a conduit that went to the utility pole where they needed it. I'm not sure why it was put there in the first place but it was empty!
It took a while before MCV came back because it was the dry season and there have been grass fires. MCV needed to fix service for folks with no service before working on projects like ours. One day they arrived and put new cable through the conduit and a couple of days later it was hooked up and working. I spent a quick half hour swapping the router and connection points and we were back up and running with really great service from MCV pictured below.
Then there is the project to move the Study Center which is called on campus the "Dinex". Tim did his part of stringing Cat 5 cable with very long ends at my request because I was just lea ring how to put the ends on. I got the first half all hitched up and most of the updates done. Then one of the brand new pieces of equipment (a wireless router) ceased to work. Progress was dead in the water for weeks. Finally I got the new wireless router and every started working again.
Unfortunately, weeks had past. I had to start all over with the windows updates and other updates. Yesterday I found out that Microsoft released Vista Service Pack 2!!! Now I have to go back and update everything again.
The route used to get Internet to the Dinex is very interesting (to me anyway). The Dinex is built from 3 shipping containers. Therefore, it is literally a tin can. Wireless doesn't penetrate. For my cell phone to work, I usually put it on a window sill.
Here is a diagram of the route to the internet connection in the library. After getting the replacement wireless router, I made sure it stays cool. It is sitting on a cooling rack with a fan blowing on it.
We also have GTA telephone and DSL. GTA was extremely helpful helping me determine that what was wrong with our DSL was the wireless router. It has been a very reliable system to work with except in the past week or so we have had sporadic problems with multiple phone numbers and DSL as well. I understand work was being done out on the main "back road" which seems to have disrupted our service in a weird fashion. So far, today, everything seems to be back to normal.
Living on Guam is an adventure and lesson in patience. I was so used to California where things pretty much worked with great regularity. TV, internet, power, telephones. Here, most of the time utilities are reliably on but then again mysteriously things go wacky. For several weeks the power went off for 5 - 10 minutes just about every day. Now I haven't lost power for a couple of weeks. The Lord is really teaching me things about myself -- to rely on Him because a lot of times relying on me just doesn't do any good. Another ongoing lesson is working with godly people on a daily basis -- there really is a difference.
Now I am going to post this now without going over it yet again.
