[MCTG] Internet during the power outrage

[bO Shmo]

Hi Stewart.

As you are learning now, Fort Bragg has a terrible shortage of
publicly accessible WiFi. This is mostly a nation-wide problem, but
Fort Bragg is less hospitable than most other towns of it's size that
I have computed in.

Moody's in Mendocino might be your best bet for a coffee shop connection.

Since you've already mentioned a long-term solution for your home, be
aware that most of that 15 Watts is being pumped out of your router in
the form of radio waves (probably). You should be able to access your
router's configuration with any web browser, and switch off the WiFi.
You would then have a functional router (in the classic sense) that
you physically plug your computer into with a Cat 5 cable. Ping me if
I can give you any tips about that.

Reason #1 why the 'WiFi-off' solution may not help: Laptops typically
dissipate 65 Watts or more, which makes your router's power
dissipation much less significant than the use of other devices. Many
laptops actually use 90W on average. Monitor size is a big factor
here, but so are processor speeds and high-performance graphics cards.
If a 15W router is compromising your battery charge, then you are
going to need a second, more powerful battery to run any device too
large to fit in your pocket. The inverter which converts your DC to AC
will also waste a lot of charge.

Reason #2 why the 'WiFi-off' solution may not help: Telecom
corporations in the US are scamming, blood-sucking, parasitic
bastards. Your router might have been sold to you by a telecom. In
recent years, some telecoms have sold routers without admin passwords,
so you literally cannot configure your own device (Verizon = guilty).
But this really should NOT be a problem for you, because everybody
*should* be using an after-market router, anyway. Just make sure that
whatever rectangular device which functions as your modem is not also
broadcasting any radio signals, and then perhaps the 'WiFi-off'
solution is right for you. On that note, If your modem is separate
from your router, which is most typical, then you could plug directly
into the modem, and remove your router from the equation.

-- 
bO Pierce
+1.580.530.6660, text messages only

No people have ever significantly reformed capitalism without
threatening its existence.