Maritime Mobile Wireless Adventure

Recently, due to the nature of my work, I became marooned aboard a large cargo ship berthed pierside for maintenance near the downtown area of an eastern american city without a digital connection to the outside world. I tried to use a modified DD-WRT given to me by some good friends from the digital realm of society to make a connection. To my supprise, the standard antenna that came new with the wireless adapter wasn't capable of receiving signals strong enough to make a connection on any of the open access points within range. The RF signal strength from all of the open access points was one to two dB down into the noise. To overcome this problem, I consulted my trusted friends within the digital realm, and with some late night rumaging through various shelves and boxes full of cables and connectors we came up with a solution. My friend had an extra 18 dB gain flat panel antenna, and an N-Female to RPSMA-Male adapter. This along with with a N-Male to N-Male jumper coax that I had, and I was in business. When I returned to the ship, I eagerly assembled all the bits and pieces, placed the flat panel antenna in the port hole (window) in my room, fired up the computer, opned up the DD-WRT box ADMIN webpage, and checked the signal strengths on the open AP points within view of the new flat panel antenna looking out of the port hole. Within minutes, I was able to establish a connection to an open AP point that had a signal strength of approximately 8 dB above the noise. Success and connectivity into the digital realms once again, with a little help from my friends. This adventure is a perfect example of teamwork. No person is an island, we need the company and the assistance of friends and family to successfully make our way thourgh this world we find ourselves in.