When a Cunning Plan gets Mad

Not angry mad mind you, just nutty mad.

Warning - there's even more techie talk in this post ...

Ok, so since switching the network around I've had 2 evenings where there's been no interruption in the audio streaming. Result ! However ... It means my old laptop and my printer can no longer see the network. There's solutions to both :

I have a new widget for the old laptop which will let it connect.
I can plug the printer in to the desktop and access it through that.

However (again!) ... There is another solution. A plan that goes past Cunning into Mad Scientist territory. And ... I already have the bits to make it work.

Right now, I have a wifi network transmitting at 5GHz. It works, it's away from the interference. But it means my old kit (laptop and printer) can't see the network because they can only work at 2.4GHz.

The solution (and Cunning part of the plan) - to have a second device that transmits at 2.4GHz. In effect, having two independent networks going.

But - it gets better. Why not give the jammer something to jam while happily sending you want on a frequency it can't see ? My wifi network is currently called "Aquarius" (don't ask - I must have been watching something Greek or mythological and it sounded good at the time). What I could do is set things up as follows :

Internet router transmits on "Hahacantfindme" at 5GHz
(I'd pick something else like Athena)
Laptop sends its audio through that.
Old router plugs into the internet router and transmits on "Aquarius" at 2.4GHz.
I.e. you give the jammer what it expects to see.
And my old laptop and printer can get back on the network through Aquarius.

Everybody's happy, including the jammer because it has something to jam. Owner of the jammer on the other hand ? I can see them going "Hey ! How come the music isn't breaking up like it did before ?" Muahaha.

There is another solution that does the same thing - Apple do a device called the Time Machine which does data backup duties. It can also extend wifi networks, just like what the 2nd router plan above would do. It is a couple of hundred £££ though, so perhaps an accessory too far.

I hope if anything this post has illustrated one thing :

It is dangerous to give techies too much gear to play with. They get daft ideas of how to use it.