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New Internet service -- some simple (?) advice?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Stevewoods, Jun 28, 2020.

  1. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    So, during my rehab from an auto accident, I did some deep (hobbling) cleaning and actually found my Canon digital camera, which I thought I had lost during a snow outing many years ago. It charged up and I can actually take photos with it. Indeed, I posted one about a year ago on P/C.

    IF I get the urge -- and remember -- I may post a pix of the "road" that passes by my driveway. Not too worried about anyone "stealing" my wifi....And, my driveway is nearly 500 yards long -- line of sight from the house to the road, don't really know, but, of course less than 500 yards, but probably not all that much. Add in the fact that there is heavy forest between the house and road and that I have trouble connecting to my wifi from pretty much any room in the house other than the room the modem/router are located in....not too worried. Something to be said for a modem/router that I think is at least a dozen years old.
     
  2. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Dang, I previously had the impression that you had more distance margin, to the tune of 3/4 mile. Which would figure out to over 1300 yards.

    Though dense timber certainly helps. I grew up with that behind the house, covering about 190 degrees of the view, above. The other 170 degrees was open prairie below, for double-digit distances. And plenty of places for snoops to park and try to break in -- beyond 2 miles, if they can get something like a 24 dBi or better parabolic dish, or high transmit power coupled with a super low noise figure receiver.
     
  3. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    You are probably right. Probably.

    But don't under estimate what lengths some people will go to just to mess with somebody. Even somebody they don't know.

    And it is such a EASY thing.

    The odds of it causing you a problem might be tiny.......but NOT ZERO.

    I quit.
     
  4. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    ARRGH! Got to work and they decided they are going to mess with my work station. I managed to put up with it until noon....

    Anyway, for some reason, NOW I cannot find the Canon camera. I know it is around somewhere....

    The road going past my driveway is single-lane, dirt. VERY rough. Passenger cars CAN navigate it, but many folks, including most of my in-laws :D, are terrified of the road. If you meet someone coming toward you, one of you has to back-up until you reach one of the very few turnouts -- indeed, over a half-mile, there are only two turnouts (which includes driveways). Well, actually, the only turnouts ARE driveways.

    And, while traffic is light, very light, don't think anyone is going to park anywhere nearby as they would be parking in the middle of the road.

    Gosh, now I have to go hunting that camera. More trouble than it is worth. OPPS, just realized, I was given an Amazon Fire while I was in the nursing home, since I am not much for videos, I could get all sorts of e-books on the Fire. But, it also takes pix. Not real sure how it works, but I may try it and post them.

    Then, I think most of you will conclude I have no worry about wifi poachers.
    kris
     
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  5. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    No Amazon deliveries for you then? ;)
     
  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Can a Prius navigate that road without scraping bottom?

    Now that no normal-clearance cars live at dad's place, the family farm, my Prius sometimes drags a bit of gravel from the center hump, telling me it is again time to pull out the grader box to drag the road and redistribute the gravel. Though normally I get this done earlier to rebuild some crown to avoid serious spring water runoff damage.
     
  7. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    I will say what anyone living off a dirt track will say: The condition of the road depends on the time of year and the idiots driving along said road.

    There are times a Prius will bottom out. There are times a Prius will not. When a Prius does bottom out, someone (often myself) gets out with a pulaski, a shovel and maybe a yard or so of 3/4-minus gravel and makes a repair.

    If it is a "neighbor" (closest one being a significant distance), they will usually use a tractor. If it is me (and most often it is), the hand tools get put into action mode.
     
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  8. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    I could not figure out how to make my Amazon Fire Tablet ($37!) take photos, although I have done it before. Of course, I did not try very hard, either, but did finally stumble across my Canon digital camera, which, of course, was in the carrying case for my portable radio.

    So, here is why I do not believe I have to worry about wifi poachers....deer poachers, maybe. This is the view of the "official county road" that passes by the end of my driveway. That ditch on the right takes about three hours a week from October through mid-December to keep clear of leaves and other debris. Otherwise, runoff overflows and washes out the road.
     

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    #68 cyberpriusII, Jul 17, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 17, 2020
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  9. AzusaPrius

    AzusaPrius Senior Member

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    Psst hey dont worry about it so much.
    The advice for changing the default password is really for people who live in the city not in the woods I dont think bambie, smokey the bear or thumper the rabbit will steal your wifi.
     
    #69 AzusaPrius, Jul 18, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2020
  10. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    My password is NO PASSWORD.

    No, I do not mean the password is no password, literally, it does NOT require a password.

    No issue in a dozen years. Visitors are amazed and then happy. One of the advantages of living in "no where."

    Uh, disadvantages, no power for weeks at a time (which means no water). Police response 45 minutes, on a good day. Fire response, it happens, eventually.
     
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  11. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    They DO make generators that run on propane.
    And solar systems that use batteries.
    :)
     
  12. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    And they do cost $$, and huddling with the hounds is free.
     
  13. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Compared to my native region, that doesn't look so bad. I mean, not as good as the graveled official county roads serving most farms and ranches and rural development, but certainly better than a good many of the Forest Service and BLM roads beyond those, which also serve some homes on private in-holdings.

    As for wifi with no passwords in such areas, I'd like to see the equipment that it would take even connect to access points deep within such areas, without serious trespassing.
     
  14. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    And then there was the road to our FM transmitter site on Roatán. You had to be very careful not to get in a rut. This one was in the exact center of the road.

    In a rut.jpg
     
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  15. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    True, solar would be expensive but there would be a payback.
    A generator just large enough to provide the essentials should be very affordable.
     
  16. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I guess you can drink their drool.
     
  17. cyberpriusII

    cyberpriusII Prodigyplace says I'm Super Kris

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    Uh, no. Have had my share of "dawgs" drool around during the years. The most troublesome being those with two legs. :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

    They ALWAYS were kicked away. :whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle::whistle:

    And, actually, I have an "gift" Honda inverter 1000w that will run a few things. And a few years ago, fell into some cash and bought a 2000w Honda that will run a few more things, but they keep the lights, the freezer/fridge going. No luck with the heat or the water.

    Coldest we had to ever put up with when we lost power -- is this topic drift; where's Mendel -- was three to nine degrees F as daytime highs for about a week with overnight lows not dipping much lower than those temps. That was an interesting time. But I was shoveling snow in six degree weather with just a T-shirt.
     
    #77 cyberpriusII, Jul 20, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2020
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  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    now i won't be able to sleep tonight...