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xISP

Vendors and core business

I had a client learn a lesson they should not have had to this evening.  The client has had several key servers hosted at a small data center for several years now. These were managed servers the data center took care of. Things like new hard drives were the responsibility of the data center so the client rarely paid attention to these machines.  As many of you know a server can spin for years and it is just forgotten about.

Tonight these servers come under a very heavy Denial of Service (DDoS) attack.  Fifteen plus Gigs come to bear at client’s servers for an extended time.  The client is unable to reach the data center NOC, nor do any of his contacts work.   The servers are knocked offline.  4 hours later the client finally receives an e-mail from the data center saying they unplugged the client’s router because it was taking down their (the DC’s) own network.  After asking to have a call from a manager client finds out the DC has restructured and dropped many of their co-location and other hosting services.  Their multiple 10 gig pipes have been reduced to one, and many clients have left.  The manager says they have re-focused their business to focus on things such as OLED screens, and other things totally unrelated to running a data center. The hosting they do have left “pays the bills” so they can have a place to do research.

The client has redundancy so they are not dead in the water.  However, this redundancy was only supposed to be for a short term duration due to costs.  The lesson learned is to keep in contact with your vital members.  Call up your sales person once or twice a year and see how things are going.  Keep in contact with key folks at the company.  If they are on LinkedIn add the company.  If their focus appears to change or they go silent do some leg work to find out what’s going on.

Categories
Uncategorized

Technology and our lives

I saw two very different examples of how technology affects families today. The first was a very positive experience with my wife’s parents. Their satellite dish had become out of alignment. Amber and I were able to go over in the morning and quickly do some adjustments on the dish outside and get their TV service restored. As a result, we were able to have a nice lunch with them and sit and visit for a little bit. For the techies Reading this, it was just a simple alignment problem and a couple loose bolts and some turning of the alignment bolts brought it back in line. It’s the same thing we do all the time with wireless microwave backhauls.

The other example was a Family down the street. As I was driving home I passed their house and noticed probably ten of them were outside having a cookout. However, as I got closer to the House I noticed every single one of them at their heads down looking at their phones. No one was talking with each other.  Maybe they were IMing each other, who knows.

Just some recent observations.

Categories
LTE Tower Wireless WISP

The Importance of cable support in LTE deployments

As the number of WISP LTE deployments increase, there are many things WISPs will need to be mindful of.  One such item is properly supporting antenna cables. LTE systems are more sensitive to cable issues.  In a previous blog post, I talked about pim and low-pim cables.   One of the things that can cause low pim is improperly mated cables.  If cables are not supported they can become loose over time.  Vibration from equipment or even the wind can loosen connections.

How do we support cables?
We can take a cue from the cellular industry. The following are some examples of proper cable support.  Thanks to Joshua Powell for these pics.

Where can you get these?
A good place to start are sites like sitepro1 or Tessco has a selection.

So the next time you are planning your LTE deployment think about cable support.