We are all about EDUCATION here at Kopila Valley, even for Senior Citizens. When I came here (I have to confess to my tech friends back home) I could barely spell TCP/IP. Now, thanks to Kyle Albertson of Cisco and Don Currie of Data-Linc I know enough about Nepali internet practices to be very, very dangerous here also. Kyle and Don have been working via email from 6-8,000 miles away, with me for several days, teaching me some of what I never quite learned in the Cisco Systems User Group Meetings we hosted at Fisher Plaza.
Yesterday our ISP Guys, as we call them, came with a new Router and a box of CAT-5 cable. We spent 3 hours while they installed the router and then humored me while we tested two different antenna locations. The second one, which they had recommended before we started, turned out to be the better one. When they left, Steve (a.k.a. Grandfather) and I started testing and fine tuning the antenna location. The attached videos give you an idea of our (my – we can’t blame these crazy ideas on Steve) doing the best with what we have on hand. The shutter and door were old discards I found on the upper stairwell roof. The piece of pipe was left over from the latest sink construction, the screws and used nails came from a collection I have been saving. You begin to get the picture.
The “temporary mount” won’t win any engineering or carpentry prizes. But that part of our “system” is still working.
So last night I send Kyle and Don a msg of thanks saying a new day might dawn over Kopila Valley’s internet this morning.
Today did dawn bright and relatively clear…and free of internet – period. Our connections both here and at the school were totally dead. Thanks to Kyle and Don’s long distance training, I was able to log into the router and see problems galore, all with the ISP’s end. A phone call confirmed they had equipment problems and were working on it. It came back up at 0803 and then went up and down all day. ISP Guys showed up on their scooter this evening to report one of their “modems” failed and they had to get a new one from “headquarters” better luck tomorrow. And yet, we have had at least some connectivity most of the night. Just to give you a measure of lack of speed, after several hour long attempts in the last 24 hours, it has taken just under 3 hours to upload these two videos which total 3 minutes and 26 seconds. Now you can see why Maggie, Grandfather and our posts and videos are sometimes few and far between. I find myself dreaming about a satellite earth station. Wish our friends from Brewster WA were here.
The most important part of the whole operation, the Children, continue to grow, learn and be grateful for all your support!
Wishing everyone back home and around the world peace and better connectivity. Uncle Ed
Being Big in Nepal 
you guys are very cleaver… Nepal brings out the best creativity… I think you can build anything with a coffee cup, a high heel shoe… and duct tape. Good job!