Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Internet Ghosts

At the house John and I are staying they have provided us with a wifi DSL. John lives on his computer doing several jobs off sight and needs a firm connection. My needs are less critical, but I have noticed that the connection is spotty and dumps me off line with irritating consistency.
Being the techno wizard that he is, John has examined and reworked and tinkered with the modem and the phone lines trying to trouble shoot. We even had the company come out and look at the line. All our efforts have helped for a while but just as we pronounce them solved they happen again.
John has been monitoring the connection while he works. It doesn't seem to be effected by my downloads nor his. It can happen when we are doing minimal operations. However, often there is a phantom connection that appears on his screen. He can see my Mac Ipad connection and his own, and often a third user called Sammy. Sammy will appear and disappear and the pattern seems to be when Sammy appears we were knocked off line. When Sammy goes away our connection is restored in that instant.
John changed the channel, Sammy was still there. We took the DSL off line, unplugged the answering machine, and disconnected the land line. Sammy would go away for a spell and then return to knock us off line. Finally we changed the password to the modem and the network. Surely that would confound the omnipresent Sammy, but to no avail, the ghost user returned. We have tested how far the wifi will broadcast and it seems to be too weak for any of the neighbors to pinch. It will fall off in the basement of the house and after only a couple of yards outside. It doesn't seem to be a proximity overlap.
I have heard several noises that sound like walking and doors opening in the house when I am alone. I even thought John had returned from the theatre one evening, but the noise was not him. We both have remarked how noisy the house is sometimes when we both were in our rooms. But then neither one has disturbed the other when we do actually get up in the middle of the night.
So the name we now give to these occurrences is Sammy. Like all ghost stories there is usually an explanation that will explain it another way besides the paranormal, but for me it is easier to just say, "Sammy is back". Other than the internet distraction it really is a non issue. There seems to be no hostility associated with Sammy just the internet presence and the occasional noise. Even the interference with the wifi is not so bad that it keeps us from doing what we need to do... it just creates a break once and awhile. Perhaps when Sammy needs attention and we are involved with our screens.
There are several schools of thought on the regularity with which I encounter these enigmas in my experience. Either paranormal phenomena follow me around from place to place, or I am just sensitive to the process and notice it when I am traveling... or I have an over active imagination with a flare for the dramatic. I know the idea I would choose for myself, but think others would explain it differently. For now I just plan to let Sammy do his or her thing and co-exist with whatever or whomever it is.
As you were,
Jay

1 comment:

Roomie said...

R,
I'm back and glad that you are doing well there...you and JDI should leave Sammy be...he/she/it might decide to ruin the connection all together and then how would we hear from you....
Carry on,
TB&tb