Cable was a constant problem. We needed long cables to go between trailers and
only slightly shorter cables for people's rooms. Vinh made the first trip to
Fry's and bought 100 m of Cat 5e plus copious clips. It cost $75. We used all
of the cable. Later, Randall and I went on a second trip to Fry's. That trip
was $50 for 300 m of Cat 5 (not counting my personal splurging on a new power
supply). All of the cable was used. We used the UGCS crimpers to make cables.
Thanks to Jeremy, Lusann, Josh Z., Randall, the Flem whose name I never got, and
to all the other crimpers. I eventually learned how to crimp on the last night.
My ITS laptop was the cable tester.
Trailer 13
was a curious combination of cable lengths. Blue is the uplink from 15. Pink
provides to 11, which is funny because 11's connection should have come directly
from 15 but the cable was just too short. White goes outside to a single in 13.
Later in the network, trailer 13 would provide to 19.
Josh Z. helped make the 11 to 16 cable around pipes. Workers
installing wood boards cut slits to accomodate the cable.
There was a pipe from 16 to 15 and 15 to 11. We used both and the
worker cut slits in both the covers.
The trailer 11 end of the cable follows the side to the bathroom
door.
Somebody asked me if I was taking these pictures for a
lawsuit.
Computer lab door: duct tape over main feed to 12, gray to 10, and blue to Dabney RAs.
A few people setup their own hardware without my intervention. Trailer 15 setup
a wireless access point, Pan With Us, almost immediately. On Monday, Keegan
setup SexNet, a Linksys WRT54G, in the "multipurpose" trailer. Initial path of
SexNet packets: NAT in WRT54G, switch in 11, hub in 11 (Blair's room), switch in
13, hub in 15, switch in 16, NAT in FreeBSD box to wireless, bridge in WRT54G
(Avery), NAT in linux box in Avery.
Trailer 15 evolved
a D-link wireless access point, Pan With Us
Keegan setup SexNet, a
Linksys WRT54G. White is the uplink. Gray goes behind the couches but does not
make it to the computer lab.
After we got legitimacy with Margo Marshak, the Flems setup their own small network. I sold them cable and clips for $20 and crimping help. They setup a small wireless network with no security. Their side got blocked by ITS security whereas ours never did. Call me biased.
Every night a batch of switches would come in. With small exception (for ITS), they were people's personal switches. After the South Housers were fresh out, Josh went to the North Houses and hauled a bag back of mostly Ruddock switches. Thanks Rudds. The task each night was relatively straightforward: maximize the number of connected trailers. The implementation was fun and a sysadmin's nightmare. For photos of switches in bathrooms, see the Switch Photos page.