Geeks get their own ethernet connection

By Caroline Tjepkema
Staff Writer

Jim Rice (left), Afua Sanders, Erin Cayard-Roberts and Eddie Kamonjoh proudly display their Wilbur House ethernet antenna.

If you are strolling down Route 40 and see a strange device in the yard of Wilbur House, don't panic. It's only an antenna, and it's not being used to communicate with space aliens. At least that's what the house residents claim.

Wilbur House is more than just another friendship house. All of its residents are Computer Science majors. It was meant to be a theme house, but the appropriate paperwork was never filled out.

Computer Science House, or Geek House as its residents call it, is inhabited by seven Computer Science majors, some of whom are double majors or have minors. They are all juniors or seniors.

The idea was hatched at an advisor dinner. While no one was serious about having a Computer Science house at first, the idea quickly gained more respect when a wireless ethernet connection was proposed.

"We weren't going to come here without an ethernet connection," senior Ben Bartlett said. "It just wasn't going to happen."

The wireless ethernet connection was made possible by Computer Science professor and department convener Charlie Peck. Peck supplied thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

Before the wireless ethernet connection was finally established, CS house used a modem. This made the phone virtually unavailable, which was inconvenient for relatives and others who do not generally conduct their business via e-mail.

"No one was able to call us," junior Jim Rice said.

The wireless connection is based in Dennis Hall. An antenna on the roof is connected to an ethernet jack in the building, and broadcasts to the antenna in the front yard of Wilbur House. Although this option requires expensive equipment to convert data into radio waves and back again, it is more economical than trying to run a cable across National Road.

All residents of the house share the same ethernet connection. However, their connection is on a different sub net than the rest of campus, making it "a very fast connection," according to Rice.

House members are brought together by their collective technological endeavors. For example, they spent several hours one night rummaging through Dennis Hall, attempting to find the appropriate equipment to set up their antenna. The evening concluded with several more hours on the roof actually installing the antenna.

Having such a large number of Computer Science majors living in one house has advantages and disadvantages.

"Having all of the Computer Science majors in the same house encourages gaming," Rice said. Favorite house games include Diablo II and Unreal Tournament. The impeding release of Warcraft III is eagerly anticipated.

However, residents of CS house are also able to help each other de-bug programs. While they make up the vast majority of some of their classes, they have been instructed by at least one professor not to work together on assignments.

CS house hasn't had any problems with anti-geek sentiment. In fact, they have received nothing but positive reactions to their living arrangements. One resident noted that most people appreciate their pioneering effort to connect a college owned house to the internet.