Jim's Daily Rant. Fried My Router Two Weeks Ago.

Two months ago I installed a Star Link internet dish ($500). I love it. I installed and own the equipment so I am responsible for protecting it. I am freely sharing the service with two neighbors as it is more speed than I will ever use (100 MPS).

I shoot the signal to them with two small bridge WIFI radios. $60 Per set

That puts five outlets on an unprotected house line for the entire system.

Yesterday I talked with a retired lineman that explained what happened to my router. I received three instant half power outages. I have never seen any outage that quick and partial. Don said that was the power company resetting a substation and all the equipment there.

Don is a long time HAM operator. He said he lost two radios that way and was reimbursed by the power company when he called them.

____________________________________

My replacement router only cost me $60. Don has a room full of those used routers that was taken out of service so Doctors’ networks can be more safe from hacking. Their new routers run $2,400. He will give me one of the old $100 ones as a backup.

He also recommended that I put the new Star Link system on a dedicated Uninterruptible Battery Backup system ($50, handling all 5 outlets). This is similar to what I currently have for two of my computer systems.

___________________________________

I am sharing this because I feel that over the next 6 months the power company may be resetting their substations a lot (from hacking and outages) and now is not the time to be without Chinese replacement equipment.

P. S. 3 Months ago we cancelled our TV Dish system. They had us mail the equipment back to them. A month later we cancelled the internet service (second dish). They said to mail it back, then changed their minds and left the equipment with us. That tells me Dish Service is running on old technology and is winding it down.