[32676] in North American Network Operators' Group
RE: Operations: where are you going to sit?
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Roeland Meyer)
Wed Dec 6 14:50:10 2000
Message-ID: <9DC8BBAD4FF100408FC7D18D1F0922869A84@condor.mhsc.com>
From: Roeland Meyer <rmeyer@mhsc.com>
To: "'Daniel L. Golding'" <dan@netrail.net>,
Roeland Meyer <rmeyer@mhsc.com>
Cc: 'Mathew Butler' <mbutler@tonbu.com>,
'Jade Deane' <jade.deane@HelloNetwork.com>,
'Daniel Senie' <dts@senie.com>, 'Matt Thoene' <matt@thoene.net>,
nanog@merit.edu
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 11:36:52 -0800
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Errors-To: owner-nanog-outgoing@merit.edu
I've worked in facilities where this ban existed, but not for the stated
reasons. These same facilities don't even let you bring in a transistor
radio because it is so easy to turn it into a transmitter. The EMI part is
usually part of the dis-information. These same places also prohibit
personal lap-tops, under the TEMPEST excuse. What they are really worried
about is espionage. I'll bet they have a ferocious firewall too.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Daniel L. Golding [mailto:dan@netrail.net]
> Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 11:32 AM
> To: Roeland Meyer
> Cc: 'Mathew Butler'; 'Jade Deane'; 'Daniel Senie'; 'Matt Thoene';
> nanog@merit.edu
> Subject: RE: Operations: where are you going to sit?
>
>
> I have worked in data centers where cell phones, FM radios,
> Nextel phones,
> etc. were banned. The theory was that the radios could
> somehow interfere
> with the equipment. This never made much sense to me. Are restrictions
> such as this common? Anyone have any thoughts on if this is rooted in
> truth or falacy? It's very hard to work on some type of
> network problems,
> where you have to console in, while using someone standing
> outside a data
> center as a "talker".
>
> - Dan Golding
>
> On Wed, 6 Dec 2000, Roeland Meyer wrote:
>
> >
> > Go to RadioShack, buy wireless FM, use it in the data
> center. No license.
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Mathew Butler [mailto:mbutler@tonbu.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 10:57 AM
> > To: 'Jade Deane'; 'Daniel Senie'
> > Cc: 'Matt Thoene'; nanog@merit.edu
> > Subject: RE: Operations: where are you going to sit?
> >
> >
> > Small problem: You can't use CB for any kind of business
> purpose. :(
> > There's a separate business band that -can- be used for
> business -- you have
> > to get a license from the FCC to use it, but that's
> per-company and not
> > per-user.
> > -Mat Butler
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Jade Deane [mailto:jade.deane@HelloNetwork.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 10:39 AM
> > To: 'Daniel Senie'
> > Cc: 'Matt Thoene'; nanog@merit.edu
> > Subject: RE: Operations: where are you going to sit?
> >
> >
> >
> > I didn't want to come off sounding like a Nextel proponent,
> but it's a
> > solution that's worked well here. And yes, their
> convoluted two way system
> > is by no means traditional, and I'm open to suggestions ;)
> > Perhaps a CB with a nice oak finish would be in order.
> Breaker Breaker 1-9,
> >
> > we have flapping.
> > Jade
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Daniel Senie [mailto:dts@senie.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 10:27 AM
> > To: Jade Deane
> > Cc: 'Matt Thoene'; nanog@merit.edu
> > Subject: Re: Operations: where are you going to sit?
> >
> >
> >
> > Jade Deane wrote:
> > >
> > > Loss of signal in a data center is a good point. At a previous
> > organization
> > > I was slaved to, we brought this up with Nextel sales
> people. After about
> >
> > a
> > > week or so they purposed a small in-line receiver for the
> various data
> > > centers, and a thin Kate Moss looking yagi for each roof.
> > Actually, this should be a passive device. Various types of slotted
> > waveguide/coax are made, for example in the Heliax product line. An
> > antenna on the roof (directional antenna only if you're on
> the edge of a
> > coverage area) and a slotted line through your facility
> will provide
> > good results. Think about it for all commonly used
> frequencies (cellular
> > and pager) that might be in use in your facility. This
> isn't something
> > you have to get via your wireless vendor, and it doesn't need
> > electronics.
> > Hospitals have used such setups for years to permit
> doctor's pagers to
> > function throughout buildings (even in basements).
> > >
> > > Also, I can't stress the importance of a basic two way
> mobile system. We
> > > use the Nextel i1000+ phones for our engineering staff
> and NOC. The
> > > internet access features on these bad boys has been VERY
> handy. The
> > ability
> > > for a NOC member to check MRTG/Openview type information
> and IMAP/etc.
> > email
> > > has been beneficial.
> > Something for you to think about: Your Nextel phones are
> NOT two-way
> > radios in the traditional sense. They communicate handset
> to handset via
> > the Nextel network (even if you're right next to each
> other). If you're
> > in the midst of a storm or other natural disaster and your
> local cell
> > site dies, you've got no use of those radios. Also, in the event of
> > emergency, cell sites become overloaded with folks sitting
> in traffic
> > calling people. You may find these radios least effective
> when you need
> > them most.
> > The Motorola radios other folks suggested are FM transceivers on
> > business (or FRS) bands. These communicate directly from
> radio to radio
> > (commercial gear also can use private repeaters). These are better
> > choices, as they have no outside dependencies.
> > >
> > > Jade
> > >
> > > Jade E. Deane
> > > Network Engineer
> > > helloNetwork.com
> > > Las Vegas, Nevada
> > >
> > > Office: +1 (702) 938-9267
> > > Cell: +1 (702) 604-4759
> > > Fax: +1 (702) 456-1471
> > > email: jade.deane@helloNetwork.com
> > > epage: 7026044759@page.nextel.com
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Matt Thoene [mailto:matt@thoene.net]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, December 06, 2000 9:40 AM
> > > To: nanog@merit.edu
> > > Subject: RE: Operations: where are you going to sit?
> > >
> > > ::
> > > ::I would add wireless phones in general. If NOC staff
> need to walk over
> > to
> > > ::another person's screen or to swap cables or interfaces in a
> > > ::datacenter, you
> > > ::probably don't want them tied to a desk phone. You may
> want to consider
> >
> > > ::some basic 2 way radios (RF) in addition to
> wireless/cell phones for
> > > ::datacenter <--> NOC <--> restroom communication independent of
> > > ::any ma bell.
> > >
> > > ...especially since cell phones tend to get no signal in
> Data Centers...
> > >
> > > -Matt
> >
> >
> > --
> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
> > Daniel Senie dts@senie.com
> > Amaranth Networks Inc. http://www.amaranth.com
> >
>
