Tech Forum

Hi All

I work in networks and with broadband technologies and I'm therefore very interested in the broadband internet roll out currently under way for the units in my stake.

With this in mind I'm trying to get as much information as possible about the broadband roll out for the church units in the UK. And also a general overview how the church network operates especially here in the UK.

I know from looking at the kit in my home unit everything at the ward level is all on private 10 address subnets.

Some initial questions to get things started.

1. Does the church run a large private network were traffic is routed back to central a location/proxy before hitting the wider internet.

2. What broadband are we getting ADSL or SDSL (same speed up and down)?

3. Is there a need for a new phone line for the internet instalations? It seem this is happening in to the units in my stake yet my home ward which had the internet installed ages ago had it installed on the standard ward line. IT seems a waste of money if we get new lines when ADSL will work over the existing Phone lines to each chapel.

4, Who is running the project? I know my local FM group is sorting out the unit installs but they seem to know little about the technical nature of the network setup and equipment that is being delivered and installed.

Thanks

Simon

sphester wrote: 1. Does the church run a large private network were traffic is routed back to central a location/proxy before hitting the wider internet.

Yes.

What broadband are we getting ADSL or SDSL (same speed up and down)?

Depends on what is available and cost effective.

Is there a need for a new phone line for the internet instalations? It seem this is happening in to the units in my stake yet my home ward which had the internet installed ages ago had it installed on the standard ward line. IT seems a waste of money if we get new lines when ADSL will work over the existing Phone lines to each chapel.

Stateside the rule was that a new phone line was needed if you were doing xSL - but if you were getting non-xSL broadband then you didn't need to get a new line. If you can get a dry xSL loop you should be fine, but check local policy - there may be regulatory concerns in the UK that are different than here.

Who is running the project? I know my local FM group is sorting out the unit installs but they seem to know little about the technical nature of the network setup and equipment that is being delivered and installed.

Check with your local leaders - stateside the STS was responsible until the FM group was given oversight not too long ago. In some cases the FM group taps the STS or others to help.

aclawson wrote:

sphester wrote:1. Does the church run a large private network were traffic is routed back to central a location/proxy before hitting the wider internet.

Yes.

Church meetinghouses Internet access in the US is filtered using the third party service called Websense. This is not a large private network run by the Church but rather a contracted/subscribed filtering service operated much the same as DNS services. There is a VPN for remote management of the Church provided firewall but is not necessary for meetinghouse Internet access. Other than the filtering service, Internet access is through the local ISP as would be done for residential service or SOHO service.

The role out of broadband to all the units in my stake has now been completed. I wish I could say it was all great new but its not.

I have been hearing from a few people that the specification of each of the new installtions (i've had 3 in the stake) should have been the following.

1 wireless access point in the clerk’s office (with all the broadband equipment)
1 network wall socket in the Bishop’s office (but hopefully he will also get wireless from the clerk’s office)
1 network wall socket in the chapel
1 network wall socket in one other large teaching room
[font=&quot]1 other WAP if needed[/font]

From discussions on these forums and through my own work I have known about the issues of using wifi as the method of delivery for such things as stake conference broadcasts. In short everyone say don't use it.

Yet in the 3 new installation no cat5 sockets have been installed. It seem madness! Surely the reason the socket in the chapel and clerks office were put on the specification as those writing the specification new that wifi was not a good tool for such broadcasts and a cable would be need.

Any idea on what I can do about this? Sure the FM group needs to put the sockets in as needed. But of course the FM group never issued a specification at the start which is the big problem.

Weird - we got all our sockets correctly installed… just go back through them and get it sorted. We've had to go back and ask for better coverage - so I now have some more shiny new cisco kit sat in my office awaiting installation

Well I've had a battle from the very start I became stake tech.

When you say you have the Cisco to install are they letting you do the work or is it being sorted by the fm group.

As well as the new installs I have 4 units on the old fhc installs and the WiFi is never going to do stake conference. With as yet no idea when they will be upgraded.

Can I ask have you been able to deal with the fm direct. I'm having to through the pfr and stake pres so it takes ages to get any communication from the fm if I get any.

Right now I feel like I'm being asked to support a service with my hands tied and blind folded and with out any credible information to work with. And the fm won't listen. Thankfully these forums help.

I guess I will need to get the matter further up the stake presidents agenda so he can push it.

http://tech.lds.org/wiki/Roles_and_resp ... e_Internet)

The FM group has funding set for each year and is limited in what they can do. Running cable is usually contracted out which costs more.

You should outline all ward buildings further than 1 hour from your stake center or where a burden is placed on members to attend stake conference. Write a document for your stake president explaining that wired cable must be setup for those buildings to enable stake conference broadcasts to work along with a list of the buildings and what is needed. You may even state that wifi could be omitted from those buildings as a cost savings measure.

Also give wiring requirements for the stake center. Have the stake president submit to the FM group that he wants stake conference broadcasts to work as outlined by church guidelines (located on the tech.lds.org wiki).

What's odd though is I visited my ward today. This last week we had the old pic501 replaced by a new 881W and a new additional access point installed. New cab etc although they have put the cab in the oddest of places and it will have to be moved.

They have fitted a 24 port patch panel and patched in 4 of the ports. one is defiantly for the remote wifi AP yet the remaining 3 seem to go nowhere. I could not check the loft space today but there is defiantly cable going into the loft so why patch it in and only do half a job.

They already had the contractors on site and have left some amount of cable but then not put the sockets in as needed. Seems madness to me

sphester wrote:They have fitted a 24 port patch panel and patched in 4 of the ports. one is defiantly for the remote wifi AP yet the remaining 3 seem to go nowhere.

It may be that they have not completed the work and will return. It may also be that those four lines go to clerks offices and the chapel, as they do in our building.

Anyone had any issues with the location of the internet cabinet location.

Ours has been installed too low and everyone keeps banging there heads in to it in the clerks office.

Whats more of a concern to me is I highlighted the health and safty concern to the FM via my Stake Preisdent and Stake PFR. The response back as been please be careful and work around it.

Just wondered if anyone else has had the cabinet installed so low you can bump into it.

We could have the room re modelled and move the desk but you could still easily bumped into it I just can't see why it can't be moved.

See attached picture.

Thanks