[clug-talk] OT: Computer safety

[Dave Bourassa]

snipped a bunch ..

Niels Voll wrote:
> now I'm glad I didn't mention the arcing issue over 802.11   :)
> 
> come to think of it, this could be made into one of the urban myths so 
> popular these days:
> <joke (just to be sure)>
> There was this guy, who had just bought one of those Linksys WRT54g 
> routers. One day he read in a Linux user group email list about being 
> able to load 3rd party firmware, which boosts the power output of those 
> wireless routers. Since he liked what a power boost did for his pick-up 
> truck, when he had installed that turbo charger kit, he promptly 
> proceeded to download the power boosting firmware from the Internet and 
> into his router. Then on his next trip to Best Buys, he noticed those 
> range extending antennae for Linksys wireless routers. "Even more 
> power", he thought, and promptly bought a set and installed them onto 
> his router, too.
> 
> So he merrily made a wireless connection with his older Dell laptop 
> computer, which had an 802.11b card in it. As any electrical engineer 
> will tell you, the Linksys WRT54g wireless router is an 802.11g device, 
> which is rated at up to 5 times the throughput of an 802.11b card.
> 
> This combination eventually caused "wireless arcing" (electricians are 
> very familiar with arcing as a potential hazard in traditional house 
> wiring) and a subsequent house fire causing extensive damage. This 
> wireless arcing is also known as a "marda loop". Dell in the meantime 
> has initiated a recall of all their "marda loop" susceptible laptops ...
> </joke>

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    You're bad !!

    Cheers,
    Dave Bourassa
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