Thought For The Day - The good news about computers is that they do what you tell them to do. The bad news is that they do what you tell them to do. - Ted Nelson

I decided a quote on computers would be appropriate considering we've just solved our ongoing internet problem on this boat. This marina has T1 internet service included in the monthly rent. This sounds great until you face the reality of splitting a very weak signal. How can a T1 signal be weak? Well, this marina is composed of one very long dock (over 1,000 feet) as it used to be used by the U.S. Navy for storing a mothball fleet. The signal must travel about a quarter mile from the office to the dock, then down the developed portion of the dock (another 700 feet or so). We're sitting about midway down the dock, so, even though they've installed a signal amplifier further down the dock, we don't get the benefit of that and we're on the edge of the unamplified signal coming from the office.

We've been able to run one computer off the signal from the dock successfully by lowering the connection speed on the computer, but the signal was too weak to be split by a router so that we could run 2 computers off of it. I think we must have tried 4 or 5 different routers and hubs, but none would run at the lower speed the computers were set to. Until today when we finally tried a 5-port Network Everywhere hub made by Linksys which would run at the lower speed. Funny thing is that not only are we now running both computers off the line, but the connection speed is faster. Now we can both do our parts to replenish the cruising kitty. Stay safe.