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Chuck, N4YXW@N4YXW-1.#NOVA.VA.USA.NOAM

There are other examples of these kinds of failures like the city in California that was taken “offline” by the someone cutting a fiber line in an unprotected manhole.

We can’t control the Internet and that leaves us vulnerable.

Having multiple paths is good but if you don’t exercise them regularly (daily) you won’t know if they are down or not until you need them.

One of our strategies for many of our Internet connected nodes is to have alternate RF paths to other “feet in the Internet”. Our local hamgate, for example, has several scripts so that any of a half-dozen folks can simply run a script and the Internet connection is through another entry point, with another provider, and subject to different risks. One of our alternatives recently went offline, so we are down to two, but we are working on making sure there are three other ways to the net in addition to our normal connection.

But it does take effort to be sure we know how to operate without it. Perhaps four out of five of our statewide exercises involve no Internet use at all. Even operating netless a few times a year, people learn to be sure their alternatives are robust. It does take practice, and it does take leadership assuring that people are reminded frequently.

Thanks for the updated file.

R/Andy
N9VT