Progress on T1s and Public Wireless

AT&T and CenturyTel have installed the data circuits for the new T1s at each branch, this is what will carry the connection between a branch library and the Internet. Merit will be in contact with us soon to schedule times to finish the installation.

Last Friday, I finally got all the needed feedback from each librarian for the time and print management solution. Some branches will stick with the manual solution that is currently in use, some will have time management only, will others will have the full package. This week, more research will be undertaken on at least two more vendors, then I will ask for a quote. The equipment needed to deploy public wifi at our other branches was ordered too. Each branch will have a Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 wireless router (re-flashed with either DD-WRT or OpenWRT) and two Buffalo external antennas needed for two of our locations.

The routers are Buffalo Technology's latest model and have greater range than the Linksys unit deployed at East Tawas. This should insure coverage within a library. The external antennas are going to be used at two of our libraries so that the routers can be placed in a secure location.