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		Points of View July 15, 2003 Guest Column: Text © 2003 Lynn Torkelson. Photo Constance Petersen © 2003 SoftMedia Artisans, Inc. and  photo of Quincy Mine © 2003 Rick Anderson of www.skypixs.com, as indicated. Reprinted with permission.

We've Got Wireless!

By Lynn Torkelson

TORCH LAKE TOWNSHIP -- A couple months ago all of our company’s computers connected to the Internet through direct telephone lines. Not any more. By switching to PastyNET’s new wireless service, we’re now exchanging Internet information 8 to 10 times faster than we did before. A single wireless transceiver serves all the computers on our local network, allowing us to eliminate the expense of separate phone lines to each computer.

I happened to mention to Michele Anderson that our company, SoftMedia Artisans, Inc., is using the new wireless service, and she surprised me by asking me to report about it for Keweenaw Now. In the interest of full disclosure, I want to mention that PastyNET donates the hosting of Keweenaw Now through the PastyNET Web Hosting Service Grant Program. However, SoftMedia Artisans, Inc., has no business relationship with PastyNET aside from purchasing wireless service at PastyNET's standard rates.

Charlie Hopper, PastyNET general manager, who installed the wireless transceiver (only 5 inches square and 3 inches thick) at our location on Portage Lake south of Dollar Bay, had kept me informed of his plans to install a wireless access point at the top of the Quincy Mine, and I had kept pestering him to put our company at the top of his list once the Quincy Mine access point was operational. Happily, our southern location fit neatly into Charlie's plans. He explained that the access point now installed at the Quincy Mine serves a 90-degree angle that sweeps from South Range to Point Mills. Charlie had already installed and tested a transceiver in South Range and wanted to make sure that he could do so successfully in our Point Mills area as well.

The Quincy Mine access point is in the direct line of sight from our location on Portage Lake, south of Dollar Bay. (Photo by Constance Petersen © 2003 SoftMedia Artisans, Inc.)

As technicians ourselves, we naturally peppered Charlie with questions about the software he had loaded on his laptop to measure wireless performance at our location and about the capabilities of the transceiver itself. He put up with us with grace and good humor as we hovered closely around him. We watched as his software even measured the precise distance from our location to the Quincy Mine -- 4.76 miles as the crow flies.

Charlie demonstrated that the transceiver can communicate successfully from inside or outside the building, through glass or wood: more exactly, through dead wood but not through living wood! From time to time, he checked with his son, Jonathan Hopper, PastyNET's systems administrator, who could monitor transmissions from the other end. During his conversations with Jonathan over our cordless phone, Charlie's software  detected some interference with our wireless signal. He explained that we could overcome this by using a cordless phone with a different frequency or by positioning the transceiver in a forward location. We settled on an outside location for the transceiver to ensure peak performance; and when Charlie left we had a fast, stable wireless connection through PastyNET, with the transceiver attached flush to an exterior wall and the cable running temporarily through a sliding glass door.

The next day Nick (my oldest son) and I engineered the permanent installation for the transceiver. Of course we created a permanent, protected entry for the cable. We could have reattached the transceiver flush to the exterior wall, as it had been installed originally -- but that's just not our way. Instead, we built a strong, adjustable base for the transceiver so we could point it precisely at the Quincy Mine in hopes of squeezing out another 2 or 3 percent in performance. Pleased with our success, we plan to convert our company's local network to wireless in the weeks ahead.

PastyNET now has a wireless antenna here on the Quincy Mine Hoist, located on U.S. 41 near Hancock. This aerial view was taken right after installation of the antenna -- the small white dot on the catwalk between and above the upper 2 windows. The small antenna is hardly visible on the historic structure, a cooperating site of Keweenaw National Historical Park. (Photo © 2003 Rick Anderson of www.skypixs.com and courtesy Pasty.com)

During our time with Charlie, we questioned him about his plans for expanding PastyNET's wireless service. He explained that PastyNET is working to blanket our area with wireless service by installing access points strategically in high locations. The original access point at St. Anne's bell tower serves downtown Calumet, Centennial Heights and the Renaissance zone. The Quincy Mine access point now serves South Range, Houghton and portions of Hancock. PastyNET plans to expand the Quincy Mine access point to serve a full 360 degrees instead of the current 90 degrees.

"This summer, other installations are planned to extend PastyNET's wireless service to Lake Linden and into Keweenaw County," Charlie said recently. "Communities targeted for future expansion include: Mohawk, Eagle River, Eagle Harbor, Copper Harbor and Lac LaBelle (via Mt. Horace Greeley)."*

PastyNET has worked closely with the Keweenaw National Historical Park to ensure that the wireless access points do not detract from the appearance of our historical buildings. The antenna used on each access point is very small and inconspicuous.

"I'm pleased that it's so small that it can't be seen from the road," said Ed Yarbrough, manager of Quincy Mine Hoist Association, whose office now has a wireless connection at the Quincy Mine.

"The service is incredible," Yarbrough added.**

To compensate the organizations that provide the locations for the wireless access points, PastyNET passes on 4% of the access charges, to Keweenaw National Historical Park in our case and to St. Anne's for Calumet subscribers.

In today's economy, our company, like most, keeps a very close eye on expenses. We bought our high-gain wireless transceiver for less than $400, and the quarterly charge for our wireless service actually runs less than the cost of the phone lines we eliminated.

Learn more about the author of this guest column, Lynn Torkelson.

Editor's Notes: * PastyNET installed a wireless access point at Mt. Horace Greeley, site of Keweenaw Academy, in July 2002. See "Keweenaw Academy welcomes PastyNET wireless service." ** The Quincy Mine Hoist, a cooperating site of Keweenaw National Historical Park, and its Gift Shop are open to visitors through November 1, 2003. Hours are Mon.-Sat., 8:30 a.m. to departure of last tour at 7 p.m.; Sun., 12:30 p.m. to departure of last tour at 7 p.m.

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Note: Views expressed by our guest columnists are not necessarily the views of Keweenaw Now.