Making Preparations

Installing the 50m cable

With intentions of being as natural and 'as you find me' about my studio space, there has been a bit of a re-shuffle in preparation for visitors. Clearing room, whitewashing walls, installing good lights, getting hidden work up on the wall, organising more efficient storage solutions, all actions to aid clearer communication during the project. Trying to understand an alternative perspective of the space which wasn't about being the maker/worker.

Another, crucial component for the project to happen is securing a stable, strong internet connection which can support the Adobe Breeze application. This one job has branched into a sequence of steps, each one a little daunting for me, a technical novice who's impatient to crack on. Here's a run through of what's happened to achieve this mighty goal:

1.) Confirm need and suitability for broadband connection with owner of studio, who I rent from. Decide on a wireless connection to suit all internet users in the building.
2.) Order broadband package and wait for installation date.
3.) Installation date arrives, test connection in studio, situated three floors below where router is sited.
4.) Wireless configuration headaches with my Mac ibook, what's a WEP code? Where do you find it? Is it lost forever? Shall we start again? We do, I generate my own, and its written down safe.
5.) Get connection in studio, first opportunity to observe very shaky, slow and at times faltering connection. Web pages load and freeze, I start to worry a little that three floors between ports may be a bit ambitious.
6.) Get researching back at home about signal strength trouble shooting, learn about 'range extenders', a device to boost wireless signals, purchase a mac compatable divice and plug in.
7.) Signal strength is up to 90% from 40%, an improvement but encountering same slow, inconsistent connection on my computer back in the studio.
8.) Deciphering root cause of problem must be my computer, I'm off to the genius bar at the Apple Store. A kind and clued up Apple man reminds me of my elderly Operating System and wireless adapter I'm attempting to use to 'talk' to the server. My internet browser Safari is way out of date and can't be upgraded on my current OS. Relief at understanding problem but worry about what is implied for next step.
9.) Two solutions, one, to install a wired connection via a cable to the computer from the router. The most stable of all ways to secure an internet connection. Or, upgrade/replace my computer. I opt for installing the cable.
10.) Problem, three floors between router and computer site in studio. A long cable will be required and acess through building negotiated.
11.) Get the okay from owner to use cable, decide most direct(!) route will be from back of the building, up the wall, over the roof (which is flat) and down the front side and into the studio three floors below. Estimate 40m.
12.)Source cables, select a 50m RJ45 Cat5e UTP cable, known as an ethernet cable. I'm learning....RJ45 is the code for the type of connectors on cable ends, Cat5e means its an enhanced 5 band cable suitable for internet connection, UTP means its suitable for exterior use. Nearly there now.

13.) Find a man that can, cable gets up and over the building, all secure. I get to see the view from the top, neaten up the cable path, marvellous autumn evening, feel better.
13.) Connection better, but still something not quite right, more troubleshooting.....

14.) Thinking of plans b, c, d....etc Can make video recordings of space and post to blog, Youtube, Facebook....for later access by participants.

View from the roof