Dartblog

Well, here it is, nine in the morning on the day after the day after Christmas, and life is life again. The new house is creeping toward done and the various empty corrugated products are growing into a minor mountain in the garage. The network isn’t quite up yet, although I have the modem, gateway, router, and switch installed as I like them. (And in that order.) Problem is that, although most of the house’s data runs over category 5e cable to an intelligent punchblock that should be able to switch each data port between a telecom RJ11 hub and an Ethernet RJ45 hub, depending on what is connected, they are in fact all terminated at a bare wire punchdown to the telco. Since I don’t fancy multiple hours of crimping and connectorizing, “the guy” is coming today to turn half of those termini into RJ45s and plant them on the 100BaseTX network.

Now, I know what you are thinking: Category 5e?! Don’t they make plenum Cat6?

The answer is yes, but apparently the trickle-down to general contractors is a high one. They’re good with the latest in dimmed lighting technology which, I think, peaked in the late 16th century, and they’ll be very excited to tell you about how all your lights will be able to function at reduced power levels to “set the mood”. But fast Ethernet is hard, man.

Meanwhile, the new house is no where near a Dunkin’ Donuts. Mendozzzaaaaaaa!

The good news is that I’ve my digital camera back so for those readers who only come around for the wild photographic chronicles of my roughshod life, photoblogging will return soon.