Tag Archives: OSCON 07

Connectivity in an Open Source Conference

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OSCON always pushes the limits in terms of connectivity.  Let’s face it, this many geeks, fighting for the available resources.  This year has set new records in my frustration to get online.

  1. The Doubletree (where I am) hotel does not have wireless in the rooms
  2. They do have wired ethernet, but it’s not free this year
  1. I can’t connect in my room
  2. I had to spend several phone calls and lots of time with support
  3. No rebooting my computer will NOT help in this situation
  4. FINE, send the tech up to check the wire to the wall
  5. at least now they are switching rooms to one that has a cable or switch port that will work :)
  • The ‘Free Wireless’ that they do have is just in the lobby.  Last night it wasn’t working
    1. spr and I wound up playing Apples to Apples with sirhc and some other folks in the lobby while trying to get online.
  • The Red Lion (not the conference hotel, but closer to the conference) has free wireless in the room
    1. They have 179 rooms
    2. They can have 100 concurrent users :)
  • The OSCON open network is better today than it was yesterday morning.
    1. But tomorrow there will be twice as many people, in a smaller amount of rooms for the keynote
  • AT&T’s Edge network has been swamped, haven’t been able to use it after Sunday
  • A guy trying to use the verizon wireless mentioned the same results (guess it’s not just the iphone users)
  • Don’t even bother trying to use the local points for the MetroFi free wireless, overwhelmed doesn’t begin describe

    • Basically, if you’re lucky enough to connect to anything but the oscon connection (and it will be this way during the keynotes) you won’t get an IP. 

    Arrived at OSCON 07

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    Checked into the hotel, registered, and will be ready to feed the brain starting tomorrow.  Spent the last two days touring the old grounds in WA before the conference.  That’s the nice thing about this being in Portland is I can visit my hometown.  This time I spent the weekend hitting the old Pike Place Market, Visiting my Sister, and old friends.  One of those suckers even went camping with me up to Lake Angeles .

    I had packed very light for a nice summer trip, and was greeted with a heavy downpour :/  go figure.  But I can live with that, and hiked up anyways.  I hope to get some pictures up soon, but I didnt’ get very many because my camera broke.  The lens extended as normal, and then no longer retracts.  Because of that, when the camera turns on it starts to try to extend, and since ti can’t, it crashes.  grrr..