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Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 8:55 am
by treeplanter
For those who want to stay connected while on the Island, there is free wi-fi at the Rock Harbor Lodge "Guest House." Not the fastest wi-fi in the world, but it does work. The password is "rockharbor," one word, with no spaces. It's on from 7:00 AM to 9:00 PM. They ask you not to download or upload videos and high-res pics, or to Skype. If you want to check email and the like while at Rock Harbor, you can do it here.

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:11 am
by Ingo
Anyone know if it's improved? We were there in 2013 when they first put it in. Gave up trying to check email after 1/2 hr or so. I think that one person (doing what they ask you not to do) can pretty much bring it down for everyone else. Note that was my only lodge trip--normally I leave it all behind and don't care.

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:51 am
by treeplanter
It worked fine last Friday (5/29), when I used it. Again, not blazingly fast, but more than adequate for checking email and web browsing. There were two other people in the guest house with me and we all had no problems logging on and catching up on things.

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 9:53 am
by treeplanter
I spent several days on IR last week. The Wi-Fi at the Rock Harbor Lodge has been dramatically improved. Very fast and reliable. One of the people who works at the park store told me they installed new hardware and software a few weeks back. Not that we go to IR to be online, but if you need to check email and the like, it will be like sitting in your own living room.

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 11:55 am
by JerryB
A year ago, I was on a solo trip. When i got back to RH, I wanted to check for texts (because my son was expecting to get his assignment with the Army) so i asked the lodge if i could have the password just to check that. They said no because i was not staying at the lodge. Later, a nice lady saw me flipping through the photos i took on my phone and she asked if i had a signal (i was away from the lodge). I said no and explained my story, so she told me the password (Bullwinkle, at the time). It worked very well.

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2017 12:30 pm
by treeplanter
The password is now "park place."

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 10:57 am
by Midwest Ed
In June of 2016 a new WAN broadband link was installed between the water tower in Rock Harbor and a tower at the old Air Force radar site on Mt. Horace Greeley in the Keweenaw.

PastyNet Isle Royale Report Spring 2016

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:33 pm
by treeplanter
There were further upgrades earlier in May.

The 20-something I talked to said the Lodge people did the upgrades primarily for the benefit of their employees. Now they can communicate with friends and family easier and more reliably than before. Another thing I learned, there are two WI-Fi networks, one for employees, the other for guests.

Another tidbit, at the peak of the season, about 50 people work at the Lodge.

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:00 pm
by Midwest Ed
Here's a piece of video of the mainland installation for the 2016 WAN upgrade.

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 7:36 pm
by Midwest Ed
Here's a piece of video of the mainland installation for the 2016 WAN upgrade.

Update. . . .

Somewhat ironically, this topic was discussed today at Pasty.com Cam-Notes by the person who did the 2016 upgrades:

Charlie at Pasty Central on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 - 09:51 am wrote:
Several people have asked me, what ever became of the link to Isle Royale, and the broadband service? After mounting the antenna here on the Keweenaw side, and mounting the same kind of dish on the water tower at Rock Harbor, we achieved about a 60 mbit link, which I enjoyed using over several long weekends last June. Our proof-of-concept was successful. But the whole project was under a temporary authorization, and eventually we had to take down the equipment on Isle Royale. The reason we were given (by the folks in charge) why they would not issue a permit to continue the service, is that campers would be unhappy on days that fog and rain interrupted the signal and made the service unusable. We offered to manage an automatic failover to satellite for any such occurrences, and that is the last contact we have had with the Park Service about the matter. We were not given the opportunity to install such a failsafe system.

So now the only Internet available at Rock Harbor is satellite - even on sunny days, which is most of the time. So campers are not being disappointed by losing fast, unlimited Internet service when it rains... since they don't have it to begin with. This is one Yooper who still has a hard time seeing the wisdom in that decision: "If it can't be perfect, then don't even try it." It's a good thing those who came before us didn't take that view. Nobody would be living in the U.P. or Isle Royale.

Charlie at Pasty Central on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 - 09:51 am

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Thu Jul 13, 2017 10:44 pm
by JavaHiker
Respect to those who wish to "stay connected," but occasionally I have a need to be a lesser member of the Hominini tribe (H. habilis, or H. ergaster perhaps?). Too few places remain in the lower 48 where one can completely disconnect from electronic communications, including the demonic nature of work related email, for extended periods of time. For me, it takes a day or so after setting foot on the Windigo dock for the instinctual "cell phone check" to fade away, the inherent rhythm of nature to flow into my soul, and an intrinsic life-soothing recharge to begin. Am I putting it too spiritually? Perhaps...

Grunt Grunt Snort Grunt
(JMHO)

Re: Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor

Posted: Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:23 pm
by HikerGal
So... wondering if anyone has the password for the Wi-Fi at Rock Harbor this year? Very soon, we will be on the island for almost two weeks. One thing I enjoy about the island is the complete "getting away from it all." However, my recent college grad daughter is actively looking for a JOB and to not be able to check emails for two weeks is a problem.....So, if anyone has it and would care to share it it would be appreciated.

Thanks!