Hello everybody. >> Good evening. Everybody, >> I see you're using your own Zoom link uh for this uh for this meeting tonight as opposed to the town of Shburer's. >> Yes, I I gave up and I got special
permission from the admin assistant to just use mine. It's >> yeah that's it's we've had too many meeting mess ups and >> so um the um you know I pay for a pro account anyway um so I can just use it
I'll record to the cra the cloud and then I can just share the recordings with an admin for posting on our like town channel. So this this is much better. I I like having the full control >> and this will be a long-term address that we can just put on our calendar.
>> Yes. >> Great. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is >> that's huge, too. >> Yeah. This is this is is my Zoom instance. Yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. Good. >> Yep. So, let's see. We will give Graham another minute or two and then we'll
just start the admin stuff. Just out of curiosity, are any of you familiar with the Mary Lions Charitable Organization? >> I've heard of it, but I don't know anything. I've heard of it, but I don't know anything. >> Okay. Okay. I just want >> connection to Mount Hoyoko College,
>> right? >> Among other things. Yes. >> Yeah. >> Franklin serves Franklin. She I guess the organization serves Franklin County most of all. >> But I you know I just curious.
>> Yeah, it's familiar, but I don't know. >> Okay. >> Anything anything about it really. are we expecting Graeme? >> Uh we were but that's okay. We'll we have quorum so we'll we'll get started. He'll um uh he'll he'll join in um if he
can. And so let's see. So welcome everybody. um to the October 29th meeting of the MLP board and I am Gail Huntress, MLP manager, facilitating the meeting. This meeting is fully remote. Participating remotely, we have MLP
board members Jim Hemingway and Steve Schmidt. Graham Septin may join us in a little while and also community member Craig Martin. Uh first order of business is to approve the meeting minutes as amended uh from September 17th. Can I
hear a motion? >> So moved. >> Thank you. And a second. >> Second. >> Thank you. All in favor of approving the September 17th minutes. >> I >> I >> Great.
>> All right. So, um let's see. We are going to skip the the HUT report um and uh and wait for Graham. Um, I'm hoping the one piece of business that he has is uh Purk showing up to do their annual
maintenance um that we were trying to get scheduled. Um, although uh there was we were expecting it by the end of October. I don't I don't know if he's going to meet meet that, but we're we're still tracking that one. Um maintenance
and service it uh 22 tickets um for the month of September. Um, again, this meeting is a bit late, so we're still talking about September here. Uh, so slower month than normal. Um, in other news,
um, the library has an active connection to the new building. Um, so you probably, if you've driven by it, you've noticed that the construction hub has been removed and, uh, so it's really coming along in there. Um, I got a nice
tour of the building when we talked about install installing the um uh the connection to the building itself. It looks beautiful inside. I think everyone's going to be really happy with with what's happening. Has anyone else seen it? >> Only from the outside.
>> Okay. >> Yeah. I mean, I saw it when it was like, you know, there's like 15 people working in there and like wires were hanging down and even then I was like, "Wow, this is a really nice space." So, I can only imagine what it's going to look like when it's when it's done. >> Um,
and um, so I'm still working with Graham and Maryanne on some of the setup of the Wi-Fi network there. What we're trying to do, of course, is treat this as our as our kind of town public gateway for everybody who wants internet who is
passing through town or can't afford it, although there's not many people left in town without a home connection. um to to get online. And um the other great thing is that it has a generator there. So um you know, it's as as a um an emergency
management hub. It it's going to perform much better than you know than the town hall because we are setting it up to distribute that Wi-Fi into the parking lot all the way outside um >> 247. >> Yeah, 247. Uh great.
>> Yeah. And um you know and and um almost all of it is going to be paid for through that uh the digital equity grant. So um you know it's >> so I'm curious for that that Wi-Fi access will one establish a username and
password or is it just open or how is that going to work? >> Yeah, great question Craig. I'm learning so much about public Wi-Fi networks. So >> exactly right. So, so um the way that it's going to work is that we have
purchased a router that is specifically designed for applications like this and it's going to be partitioned for safety so that half of kind of half of it is going to be the the private Wi-Fi that the staff will use that all the the computers will be connected to and then
there's going to be a public Wi-Fi on this other side. And if ever of you have been, you know, have been to places like um well, hotels do it all the time. Uh sometimes airports do it where >> you say connect to the network and then you have to blow through a little
agreement >> um to to get on the network and and the reason for that is this protection so that if there's any illegal activity, we don't have to shut the library off for a year from from it its connection. And so and so so um
>> and all those users are sandbox so they can't see each other and they can't see Yeah. >> Yeah. That's typical. >> Yeah. And and so Graham and I have been investigating this and we think that the the kind of most economical way to do this is actually to pay Ubiquiti. That's
the type of router that we got. They have a managed service that does this. So for you know it makes sense. It's a it's a you know they do it for coffee shops. They you know they do it for other businesses. Um, so we are going to um we we think use that and Graham's
already set set up the router. It you know it wasn't complicated but these other parts of it um uh I think we're going to pay for the service for a year and see if it's it works well. Also it makes sense they have kind of a white glove service that we can uh pay for to
help with this initial setup. you know, like Maryann's having trouble getting this thing connected to the com, you know, to a computer. She can just call up ubiquity and it's a it's a managed router. We are, you know, true >> from they can they can be done remote. It's 247. Um they know their own
equipment. So, I think I think it's going to be worth it to just pay for that. Um >> great. >> Yeah. Um I talked to the Massachusetts library system today. uh very helpful, delightful people. And I got a a um
handful of other library Wi-Fi policies from other libraries in Massachusetts that have them. And so, uh what I'm going to do is coate those into one for the library and then send it to Maryanne and their board to approve. And that is
the agreement that people are going to click through um to to get to the network. It just, you know, we've had a completely open network up until this point. It's great for convenience. It's terrible for network protection. And Sheldar, the folks who who kind of alerted us like
you don't really want to do this of of just run a completely open network. It it puts it puts everything at risk. Um so anyway, all that is in progress. Um
let's see. Um financial report. Oh, so I'll stop there. Any any questions about the library or or anything so far? >> When's it going to open? >> That Craig is the question everyone wants to know. I have
no idea. I I have no idea. >> Actually, maybe a more interesting question for the public is how soon will they be able to sit in the parking lot if if there's a power outage this winter, for example? Right. >> Yeah, we can we can get that set up like tomorrow if we needed to. Well, not with
all the protections, but but we could. Yeah, we could. Um, if you'll excuse me for just a minute, I got a text from Graham asking for the the um the link here. So, you just I I think he he might be on the on the road.
There we go. All right, we'll just pause for a second. Give him a chance to join. There he is. >> Hello there, Gail. >> Hello, Graham. Welcome. Oh, was I the only one who didn't find the Zoom link?
>> I think so, but that's that's that's okay. That's okay. So, um it's um uh this is going to be our standard link from now on because I'm using my personal business one instead of the town link uh because there's been just too many issues with the shared link and
being locked out because other people changed the password. So, I got a blessing from the town the assistant town admin. We can use this going forward. This will be our link going forever forward. So, um, sorry you sorry you
couldn't find it. It was in the I think it was on the the town calendar. I checked. It was yesterday. I did check. >> That's how I logged in was on the calendar. >> Really? Damn. I couldn't see it on the calendar. Yeah. >> Yeah, it's on the It was on the um just like underneath the agenda. Um
>> under the agenda. Yeah. >> Yep. Um anyway, Graham, you haven't missed much. I was just filling them in on the on the library and our plans to use the ubiquity um service to set up the public gateway to protect the Wi-Fi. >> Uhhuh. Yeah.
>> Um >> Okay, good stuff. >> Yep. And um so anyway, all that is in in progress. Um financial report. Um the state is going to be certifying our two our fiscal year
2025 earnings uh which closed in July for uh $117,463. So that's that's very good. Um don't forget that it includes some of that uh grant money that that we got. Um but we
are kind of back on track to we you know we'd like to keep those retained earnings. um uh somewhere around a hundred if we can. So um uh yeah, that's that's all good. Um oh,
Graeme signing in again. >> It's a bit of an >> There you go. Okay. Nice. Um, let's see other items of business. So, our annual report, the town is trying to
get all these done earlier than uh they have in the past. So, they're going to be due January 1st. Um, we're going to try the thing that we did last year that worked actually pretty well where I'm going to take all of our wonderful minutes that have been recorded by Jim in great detail and run them through
chat GPT and ask them to create a um a nice annual report. Um, and then Jim and I will edit that further. Um, I just actually this week, um, purchased the
paid version of chat GPT. I got I just I thought it was time and I'm finding it to be a very useful tool for for my my my life and job. So, um, I don't know if anyone has has been using it, but uh, for some things it it
works very well. For other things it works very badly. >> Yeah. Yeah. I I can't tell. >> I can't tell that that's not really you, Gail. So, it's working very well. >> Yeah, right. My my avatar is doing a great job running this meeting. I've run
off to Tahiti. It's great. >> Very cool. >> Yeah, but where are those $17,000? >> Oh, the roommate suitcase. >> Oh, boy. >> Gail, when the when you have the annual report put together, why don't you send it around? Let us look at it to before
before you submit it. Just any input we might have. >> Sure. Sure. >> Will it sound about the same as the one last year in terms of >> the way it is quote unquote written? >> Uh, well, I've Well, last year I was I
was a newbie at Chat GPT. gotten much better at building better prompts for it >> to and and so um you know you can ask it to change the tone to like make this friendlier, make this more professional, um make this you know make this
>> more colorful. Um so you know and what I may do actually Jim is do a couple of different versions and ask it to mimic the writing tone that you have kept in the minutes. >> Oh terrific. So, >> I want the Halloween the Halloween tone.
That would be cool. This >> Yeah. Yeah. We We tell it to go creepy, you know, like >> creepy. Yeah. >> Make it ominous. Um, no, we don't want that. >> Don't want us. >> All right. What else? Um about two weeks
ago um I attended the MBI statewide digit all event in Worcester and uh Shootsberry received a certificate of achievement. Um so let me see if I have it here. I can't
remember if I Oh no. I already I already put it in our filing cabinet. Um, so, um, it is it was just a little, you know, >> a certificate >> and half by 11 certificate of
achievement. >> Yep. Um, it was a minor award. It wasn't even something that like I got called up to accept. It was something that that was like handed at me at registration. And um
uh we are as Massachusetts poised to become the first state in the nation to achieve 100% broadband coverage. Um which is pretty impressive. So >> it is >> um I >> It's hard to believe. >> I know. I know. Um but with the you know
with the last mile project um they really did a great job about fill you know filling in those those gaps of the towns that just had no coverage. Um so they they they put a big map on the
projector wall of all the all the towns and there's like only three or four that are still in process that at least don't have one provider. Um, so yeah, >> we'll see.
>> I was curious about this the other day. I got something came up that there were those towns that said we don't have them. We cannot come up with the match. I remember Holly was one that has like 300. How are we going to come up with, you know, a million dollars for our
fortunate? We can't do that. >> So I was curious what ever happened with those towns? Did they something finally done to provide that? >> Yeah. Yeah. A lot of them ended up uh just signing their grant money over to
one of the providers like Verizon. >> And then >> I'm curious then because of that 100% coverage we learned in a town means like 90% coverage or something. Remember that. So I assume
>> right? So, I assume the 100% they're talking about is not really 100%. Whereas we are actually 100%. Right. >> They're probably talking about 100% of towns, which is >> No, no, no. They just they just gave a bone to the commercials and said, "Yeah, well, if you make 96, we're not going to
make you do the last four. We'll just pretend it's 100." And and Right. >> They're probably counting towns. Yeah. But >> yeah, you know, it it can it can get a little bit um uh market markety I think about how how
they're they're counting that 100% of you know >> it's like like in Pelum there was that the the the place on um >> what are you calling it that we picked up right >> that they just didn't want to cover because it was going to cost them a ton of money to to run polls out to them
>> right and according to NBI before that Pelum is covered 100%. >> Exactly. >> But yet these two households were left off. So >> Exactly. Exactly. >> Yeah. So it is Yeah. They're um uh when they say 100% my guess is that they're
using the the 96% definition of 100% which only the government can do. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I I have friends in New York State uh who are suffering from the um I guess
it's the Comcast 96% rule, >> you know, and they they they just simply refuse to connect them, you know, because it's they're too many poles, too long a distance for fiber to run, etc., etc. So, it's uh and there's nothing they can seem to be able to do about it
either, which is unfortunate. >> Yeah. >> Anyway, >> yeah. Um, so >> we could find a way to brag somewhere that we are a real 100%. >> You were real real. Yeah, real coverage. Um,
so you know, now that most of the towns have um distribution networks at least for either cable or fiber to meet that uh 25 uh megabits per second definition of what broadband is. MBI is now kind of
moving on to their last last mile initiatives. I was shocked at the event how few broadband providers were there. And like it was almost all people like developers and lots and lots of
libraries and um uh just like people who worked in public service agencies um of of various sorts. uh because what they're doing now is
doing their massive device lending program um that's launching in a couple of um uh months. So they're they're giving away something like 30,000 devices, desktops, laptops, Chromebooks. Um Maryanne at the library is applying
for those um with our grant. We already got her two computers, but she's she's wanting some more lenders. Um >> um and so it's it's great that we're already assured a couple. Um but anyway, they Massachusetts has kind of moved
away from these buildouts at this point. Um and they're they're pretty much exclusively going after uh the you know the digital equity initiatives of devices um affordability and retrofitting apartment
buildings. Okay. Um, let's see. Um, speaking of the grant, I did get approval from MBI to go ahead with our inhome help flat rate of $250
per call. Um, so that will run um until June or when $8,000 runs out for our grant and we'll we'll just see how it goes. Um, you know, is this a service that we can and want to continue? who's using it. Um they're going to keep good
statistics on it for like what kind of calls they are, you know, how many and and everything so that uh we'll have some data not only to report back to the state but for us to just like how how is this going as a as a type of service
that we offer. Um the messaging went out around October 1st about that the new repair policy and that we knew we have this new service that's temporary and grant-based.
Um let's see. Sheld has finished the software updates um for the OOLT and the uh CMS the customer management service. Um, and so all of that was finished on October 23rd. Um, so we're all good
there. So, um, we are we're ready for the new Kaix devices, um, at any time. Um, let's see. I have started the pole application process for the cabinets for that West Pelen Road um, expansion
cabinet. um putting in a very expensive pole application for one single pole. Um which I think is ridiculous, but Sheld was like, "No, no, we we're not going to touch it unless you have a license." So
anyway, it's going and it is >> very expensive as in >> how much? Um, each one was like $350 for the for the application, but that doesn't include any make ready work if
there is any. Um, I you know, >> so so it was a you had to pay $350 to submit the application. >> One for National Grid and one for >> Oh, >> yeah. >> Yeah. >> Okay.
>> I I wonder if we have that um attachment license for the one down by Laguola. I I don't remember um that we did anything special apart from asking for an attachment. Yeah. Which was a cover attachment. >> That probably would have been part of the omnibus
uh pole applications that were submitted. >> Oh yeah. Yeah. It would have been it would have been just >> at the time network but all of those the omnibus was attaching cable. So you know um not anything else. So you know but it doesn't matter. I don't think anyone's
going to look that up. No, no, I I doubt it. Um, yeah. And it's uh it's so interesting like even though you know we're you know almost a decade out, like eight years out since when we last did the poll applications,
although everything has moved online for the process, it's just means that there's like online portals to put the spreadsheets onto. like that there's nothing that's been kind of like updated about it that you know the process really it I mean it's a little bit
better you're not like sending spreadsheets to an email address um but it it still seems awfully inefficient >> still crawling like a snail >> a cyber snail >> yeah so
>> yeah Steve >> while we're talking about that box that I think it was our last meeting Graham you were going to look into the uh the cut sheets and see if maybe you could come up with some other way of doing this. Uh >> oh, I know. Yeah, I did look at it and
it it turns out that that's the best way to do it because what it is is the um how many um I can't remember um how many new how many ports is available on it? It's uh it's uh 32 times by five or
whatever. But anyhow, um the thing is once you have and I checked with um someone at Sheld once you put something down there you can liberate others you can use them all. So uh okay by by
various um clever bits of spl pieces you of splicing you really do have the extra capacity the whole thing. So, um, so, um, yeah, and it's a four-way, it's a four-way location there as well, which is a benefit. You can go up Sand Hill
Road, um, what is it? West Palm either way, and whatever the other one is. Um, >> Baker. >> Yeah, Baker. Yeah. Yeah. So, it's kind of like it potentially goes in four directions. So, that's good, too. >> So, is it near Sand Hill and West Palm
that it's going >> as I recall? Um, is it not, Gail? I can't remember the It's It's near that intersection, right? >> Yes. Um uh I have the exact poll number. Um but
>> I couldn't describe where it is just cold, but Yeah. >> Okay. >> All right. Um let's see. So, um, Graham, uh, has his MLP term up in in 2026
coming up here. So, it is time to start asking around to find a MLP member to replace him. Um, it's to remind everyone, it's and it's elected um, position and so papers for that need to
be put in, I think, in March. Um, and Jim's term um is going to be up the following year in 2028 and Steve is in 2027. So, in in succession here um uh
we're need some more members. I of course would love to have you all keep serving and you have all done a wonderful job and given so much and so um you deserve to have a retirement from the board if you want that. Um, so of
course we need to start just asking around to see if there's anybody who can replace this most excellent board. And um, uh, Craig a while back gave me the numbers of,
um, Nate Schnar and and Lindsay as potentials. Does anybody else have any ideas of people who who might be good at this role? >> If you need me to, I can do it. I'm also happy to retain my current position.
>> Okay. Community member at large. >> But but Craig, you would uh you you would actually take a position back on the MLP if need be. Is that >> Sure. >> Okay. That's good. No, for back. >> Yeah. No, I'm I I I'm I'm here every
month anyway. >> Yeah. >> I Yeah, I can. But but if you want to get new blood, that's fine, too. I'm I have no ego invested in this. >> Well, thank you. We may we may need you. Um, you know, it's just uh people are
people are really, you know, busy and >> yeah, I talked with a uh neighbor who's fairly new in town, I thought and retired and done it work and thought might be interested and didn't nothing he said led me to believe, oh yeah, I'd
be interested. He asked me a few questions about it and then, you know, just dropped it. So, uh, I I I'm not going to bring it up with him again. >> Okay. >> I mean, maybe we should put something in our next, uh, newsletter.
Um, >> yeah. Um, have I thrown out the names Tim Cook or Anna Novi? Do you know them? >> No. >> They're neighbors of mine. Uh, Anna is a partner in Integrity Construction in Ammeris. Okay. So, >> oh yeah, >> he like,
>> so Lindsay is an architect, so she brings that advantage. Lindsay of Nate and Lindsay. >> And then Anna is in construction, so you know, if not that we're doing any construction these days, but but I'd certainly be happy to recommend either of of those two in addition, my
neighbors. >> Okay, great. And what's Anna's last name? >> Novi. N O V Y, I think. Might be EY. I can tell you in a minute and I can send you their contact information if that's helpful. >> Yeah, that Yeah, that that that'd be
great. >> And they have two kids in the school and you know >> Okay. >> I think they're past their new kid shock so they might be willing to take this. >> They come out of the haze, the first sixyear haze.
>> I think so. Yeah. >> All right. And either would be fabulous. >> Okay, great. All right. Yes. So, Craig, if you could send me their um their their contact information, I will um >> I'll do that right now.
>> Yeah. And I'll I'll send it I'll let them know that you recommended them and and uh do a little blurb about what the um you know, duties and time commitment are. Um, and I'll send I'll send it to each of them kind of like as as two couples.
Um, and and let them know we're asking two other people too, but just gauge their interest >> and we need to make it clear that this is an elected position and so we are not um endorsing any candidate here.
>> I can just >> that's Yes. No, you are you are correct. You are correct. >> But but we're taking the lead here to reach out to people um that would to uh and if they're
interested, encourage them to run. >> Yeah. Yeah. This is this is an an invitation. Um >> and you know, if they're interested, have them log into one of our meetings, suggest that they might want to do that. >> Yeah. Yeah, I mean anyone
>> that's a good idea. >> Yeah. Anyone who's interested I I'm you know if they really are what I want them to do is just to start coming to the meetings so that you know we can have a easy transition um uh you know where they start coming to meetings just now
to get a feel for us and then definitely starting in like January February so that um they know what you know what we're about by the time their term starts in July. All right, let's see. Um, a couple weeks ago, I also met with the
Kaix, the new rep, um, our old rep that we worked with for years. Um, Peter, oh no, now I can't even remember his last name. Um, uh, his position was eliminated and they just have a bigger coverage region now.
Um, so I met the new the new rep. Um, and you know, they're obviously trying to get us to get into manage routers. Um, I sent around the documents about the
prices, the pricing and licensing fees. So, I guess now I' I'd like to just open it up um in, you know, as a as a discussion for that of um what what did you think about about what they sent and um questions and
Yeah, Steve. I yeah I mean I was I I saw the documents you sent and read them over it and I was a little puzzled because I thought we had kind of concluded a few months back that we weren't going with a managed router system that the survey showed that oh pe
some people would like the uh the service we provided but nobody wanted to pay for it. So um that's why I was a little little surprised that we're back considering the managed routers. >> Yeah. Um great great uh question. Um I
think that the survey of our towns people showed that that they were they wanted the service but they didn't want to pay extra for it. Um but I don't think as a committee we ruled it out. Um
so this can be as simple as we're still a no and we can move on. Um, but I'm trying to do the due diligence to make sure that we explore all of the options and make sure that we are um, you know, I'm just making a good choice for
posterity. Um, so and anyone have any other questions or or thoughts about about managed routers? Um, >> I have a semi-related question. So, I am
still evaluating the uh Tailix router >> and last week I went in to try into my iPhone app to to you know check on the network and I keep getting this um error no matter what I try to do that says
something about uh time delay out or something and it just won't do anything for me. Um, I haven't had the time to debug it because it's not that important. But if I do >> want to do that, do I call Sheld? Do I call somebody at Kaix because I'm stuck?
>> Oh, good. >> Yeah, good question. No, you can just you can just call the um the normal support line uh for shoots fairy. >> So, okay. Our our support line. So, they will still support the Kaix demo routers. >> Yep. >> All right. >> Yep. Yep. And when when and when when
you call, you can even tell them >> I have a special demo route. Make sure you tell them because otherwise you don't. >> No, you're right. No, I I can I've done that before already once before, I think. >> Okay, great. >> So, so Craig, let me understand. It won't run Command IQ on your phone. Is
that what you're saying? Command IQ opens up and when I try to go to, you know, devices or network or any of the tabs that are there, it gives me some sort of a timeout error, slow connection or something like that, even though I'm
standing right at the router and I've got five bars and I'm getting, you know, 500 bits or whatever. >> Um, so it's clearly some software bug of some kind. >> Yeah. Yeah. Somehow or other, they don't have Yeah. They don't have viewing. I I
could just uninstall the app and reinstall it, but I don't remember if there's an account that I have to log into and so I'm leerary of doing that right now. >> But but I'll call Sheldon and see what they tell me to do. >> Yeah. And >> maybe it's a known problem. >> Yep. Yeah. Um yeah, it always pops up
nicely on my iPhone, but you know, >> it did until recently for me. >> Oh, it did for a while. Oh, now >> Oh, yeah. No, it used to work fine. I I used to use it all the time. Ah, >> that's what I >> Okay, that's what I didn't understand. Okay, got it. Now, >> yep. No, it's a new problem.
>> Yeah. One more. >> Anyway, we can move on. >> Yeah. My one suggestion for um routers um for upgrades would be to let people because there are so many choices and we already know that a lot of people in town um felt like they had to upgrade or
some people in town felt like they wanted to upgrade their routers even beyond you know before we did. Um I would suggest that we offer two two flavors, you know, at least two flavors and just um pick a robust um you know,
middle of the road one and um and and say but if you want to get the fancy, you know, I mean there's Wi-Fi 7, there's Wi-Fi 7 plus now or something else. I think if people want to go higher than that, they could throw in the extra 50 bucks or whatever it is and
uh and and that would be the one that comes in the box. Oh, >> what do you mean? >> So, an interesting idea. There's one downside to that, though, which is that the people who are geekier than me who might do that, >> they're going to have strong opinions about what router they want. >> No, that's okay. They still have three
choices. >> Okay, Craig, you're right. They will always have three choices. They can get whatever they want themselves. But, but if there's if there's the the, you know, the middle of the road, because a lot of people are still doing email. I mean, there's plenty of people who just want to, you know, they're not going to want
a fancy thing, but there are lots of people who who a little bit like um a few weeks ago, a few months ago, I saw on the um on the trouble tickets thing from from Sheld um that that a couple of phone calls it took for someone who was
trying to install an internet of things and and what they finally realized was, "Oh, well, my router just won't do that channel, you know. and and yeah, so anyhow, there are people who just want to Yeah. So, I don't know. It's an easy thing to do.
>> Do you know if that was one of the one of the our old Lynxis routers or >> I I Yes, it probably was someone on Lynxis. Yeah. Yeah. And they didn't immediately realize Yeah. So, a friendly amendment to that proposal, if we're
going to do that, I would suggest that we keep the two or three or whatever choices within the same product line. So, TPLink or whatever. >> That'll make it easier for the for Shell because it's still the same system basically. It's just whether it has
Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6, >> but it'll make their their troubleshooting easier. Yeah, that's a good I like that. That That's an okay idea. >> Yeah, it's a good idea. But what I'm curious about is okay, you can have um a choice on hardware. You know, you get
one for free, you pay extra a one time extra charge for the upgraded hardware. But if we're talking managed uh router, then there's the monthly fee. >> No. >> And I think managed is off managed.
>> We're not talking managed, I think, here. No. >> Okay. Yeah, I I' I've given up on that one. Yeah, >> it's just that within the same brand, there's the intro router, the medium router, the gaming router, the you know, they all have their different levels.
>> Okay. >> But presumably the interfaces are similar and so the the support should be easier if we keep it that way. >> Yeah. Yeah. I think keeping the the customer apps for it the the the same is
going to um help support a lot. >> Um >> and and are we still talking about that we would buy all the new routers for people >> presumably? >> Yeah. >> Okay. So then we would say for an
additional $100 you can get this gaming router or whatever. Is that how we would do it maybe? Is it >> I Well, yeah. I I don't know. There's lots of different ways, but I would envision that we would have a st, you know, like a kind of like a standard upgrade router for free. Um or a nominal
charge, you know, like >> $20 or something to to up upgrade your router or you can upgrade to the fancy fancy router for $50. >> I would I would make the upcharge comparable to what the actual price
difference to us is. No, >> totally. Yeah, I agree. >> As opposed to just $20 because I might say, "Okay, I want the $500 router for a $20 upcharge." >> Not right. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> The other thing is I assume I assume that Sheld can do the accounting on
that. If there's if I want to pay that, they can just put it on my bill and it'll >> work its way around. >> Yes. Uh they are they're pretty good at the the back office stuff. They're already doing a lot of that for like the the subsidy program and and and all of
that. So, >> um, yeah, the the thing that's going to be most complicated about that is managing, you know, 750 home visits for the for the install or trying to figure out if
people can do this themselves um for for for deployment. Um, so >> I'm of the strong opinion that we get a router that is super easy that it that walks you through everything to set it up yourself and we have people do it
themselves and then if they want to have somebody install it for then there's a $100 charge or something that >> I see >> I see it unnecessary to spend that amount for a lot of people who could easily do the installation themselves
>> as long as it's a router that is super user friendly. I mean, that would be one of the criteria. >> Yeah. Yeah. We'd have to Yeah. I think we're going to have to run some tests on this. Uh, you know, not just take somebody's word for it. Um, >> I I mean, I told you I set up an Eero router for my father-in-law and it
walked me through every single step and it was really hard to get it wrong. >> Yeah. Yeah. um >> you know, point your camera at this barcode and at this QR code and then do this and do that and >> and they're all going in that direction. I I'm sure some are better at it than
others. >> And and um Craig, did it walk you through it on like a YouTube thing? I mean, if you >> Oh, yeah. Because you're going to lose your internet, aren't you, as you as you pull the plug online. >> That's a good question. I was I was
installing on top of a Frontier router so I didn't lose internet. But that's a new But they must have a way of dealing with that. I think what it does ways of doing it. Yeah. Yeah. >> I think what it does is it it establishes like a Bluetooth connection with your phone and then it tells you it
it walks you through do this. Okay. When you see this green light, press continue. That kind of a thing. It's not a it's not a YouTube video. >> I I think 90% of people would be able to or not. I think 75% will be able to do it and and if they can't, you know, then
there's the phone number, the cold shelled, and they would give a couple more things. And then if if that doesn't work, then um then it's um then it's a truck roll, you know, um for all those people who who uh who who need more
handholding than that. But uh but the good thing about uh the install in my mind is that you just tell people right up front, well, you know, if you've unplug once you've unplugged your links, you can plug it back in if if you if you've failed on the second one and
it'll just come back up just like a power failure, you know. So So you you still will have your internet um to go back to. So >> yeah, and we could, you know, we could self-produce some some videos um for,
you know, to walk people through it. Um and also, you know, one sheet in instruction things uh to be distributed with the routers. Um, >> so >> Dale, I think I think Craig's point that that the companies themselves are doing this so well that we just couldn't do it
as in in the same degree of polish and and success. Yeah. So >> Oh, yeah. I'm I'm not not reinventing the wheel if we don't have to. >> Yeah. Yeah. So, if we're doing this without a plan for um Shell to come out and do these installs,
would we be mailing a router to everybody subscriber? Would we have them at the town hall and tell people to come and pick them up? You know, what's our logistics on the delivery? >> Unclear of of how how best to work this
like the >> something to think about. >> Yeah. Yeah. the, you know, the the purchasing. Um, I I kind of when I, as I think about it, it's it's it's um, let's just say I'm I'm working out a project plan for this. The first part is for us
to choose the routers and test them, right? >> Second part is to figure out a way for people to easily sign up for the router. >> I imagine I imagine some kind of sign up um, online. Sheld might want to do it manually. People just call up. You want
one, you have to call, they'll intake the information, but I imagine online is going to be easiest. Um, and then three is figuring out, okay, now what do they do? Do do we get or probably even before this, are they getting it mailed to
their house, you know, shipped? Do we do we ship direct to to them? Um, is does a shelled truck drive around and deliver these, you know, like a big a big delivery day? >> No. >> Do do we have a huge van of 50 and you
just come to the town hall and and pick one up on, you know, a special Saturday? Um, >> with your trash bags. Yeah. >> Yeah. With your trash bags. A router and trash. >> That would be slick, wouldn't it? Your trash bag and your router. That's
actually not a That's actually not a terrible idea. I mean, I think that could work. >> Yeah. Yeah. Get Yeah. M multitask the errands together. >> The other idea is we find a router vendor who would drop ship them to all to a big list of
people, right? >> Yeah. >> May maybe they'll do it. I don't I don't know. >> Yeah. I don't know either. [Music] My my my guess is that it's probably we're going to either have um a shelled
truck driving around and and just dropping these at people's houses or a massive pickup because I think that the shipping costs to do these individually are going to kill our budget. >> Yeah. Again, unless >> that's just me thinking off Yeah. Unless
Craig's saying, "If we could, you know, work a deal, >> um, you know, put it out to bid and here's what what will will you provide, you know, shipping as part of this if you're getting the big order for 700 of these things." So >> yeah, I mean, if it's a company that
already takes online orders anyway and and charges, you know, 20 bucks shipping or something, maybe we can get them to drop down that shipping price if we're shipping 700 of them because they have >> buying 700 from them in one. >> Yeah. Does doesn't two day shipping on a
little box is like less than 10 bucks mostly? That's I just I just don't not used to paying more than 10 bucks for drop ship. Um well yeah but but 10 times 6,000
um you know or sorry six you know 6600 all of a sudden that's that's a lot more money than what >> it is 6,000. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Well I I I actually think the trash bag
approach is not a bad idea. >> Yeah. If it if our delivery happens to coincide with, you know, June >> with town meeting >> May or whenever it is, >> I can already guarantee it won't because we have to do this before the grant funding runs out.
>> Ah, >> that's that's that's cutting it way down to the wire. >> Um I you know I think that well would it work? I could we could do it in June and that would prove that everything got distributed
by July 1. So maybe it could it could just work. Maybe >> you know >> and you can buy them all and have them shipped later as well. I mean I mean if you >> not not with a grant we we need we
actually need to submit to the state here's all the addresses where this new tech was d you know like given out >> well with the with the trash bag approach everybody could just sign initial I I received my thing right and
the government would love that I'm sure >> yeah so anyway you know lots questions about distribution. Um, uh, nothing that is feels insurmountable. We we'll figure out a way to do it. Um, and, um,
yeah. So, any I just need to ask one more time though. Any other discussion about the manage routers or we are just like no, it doesn't make sense. >> I think not. >> Okay. I don't think manager hours will be coming with just AI stuff that and
people will end up having to pay for that service but you know I don't think you I don't think you'll need to have a um yeah so um one other thing is probably if um given it will be um by
request I'll bet 25% of town will never get around to um applying for the upgrade so or for yeah just how goes, you know. >> Yeah. I think a lot of people are just like, "No, it's working. What I have,
you know, there's don't fix it. >> There's no reason." >> You might be right. Yeah. >> Yeah. So, we might we might not get a whole lot of takers on, you know, on this. And that's that's fine, too. Um >> Yeah. >> So, Jim, you've been pretty quiet.
Anything to add? >> No, no, I'm trying. Can you send the um chat GPT version of of our discussion tonight? I I'm I'm having trouble keeping up with all the details here. >> Absolutely. Yep. I in fact I see little
little AI companion is just running furiously in the background. >> Oh, good. That's wonderful. >> You've been made redundant. >> Well, old age being what it is. I just had the fingers and all the rest of it. just not having a having a difficult
time of it today. >> Yeah. All right. Um Okay. So, as a team, our next task is to choose some routers to test.
Um our criteria is something that is a name brand. you know, something a brand that's going to be around for a while that has a good reputation. Um, definitely Wi-Fi 6, hopefully with another model that has a Wi-Fi 7 in
there. Uh, super easy to install, a good customer interface. Um, and yeah, so and just anything appropriate for, you know, like an average 12-,500 square foot house, um, is what what
we're we're looking for. >> So, um, I know >> I'm at Amazon. I'm seeing a Lynxis Wi-Fi 6 router for 95 bucks. >> Okay. >> Um, >> well, yeah, we could we could just up up
upgrade Lynxis. So um my ask for all of you >> I have no stock in Lynxis. >> Okay for publicly stating that >> full dis full disclosures. Yeah. >> No stock. >> Yep. So if everybody could could just take like no more than half an hour just
poke around and uh email me what you think. If you were like, if I was making this choice for myself to outfit all of our network with a new router, this is the router I would choose. Um, and um,
I'll coate those together and I will send them around and then we're all going to do some more asynchronous research. Um, and then at our next meeting, uh, come and talk about it. And um if it's really clear like we've really narrowed it down anyway to like
five or six models, I'm just going to go ahead and buy them so that we can we can run an evaluation um because we really do need to move on this so that we have time to use up our grant money um before before June. I I would love to get these ordered no later than um like January.
All right, >> Gail, when you say you're going to go ahead and buy them by sample, >> correct? By a small number of samples to test. Yeah. >> One. Yeah. >> Yeah. One one and then we'll each we'll each take one of each. We can we can to pass them around. >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Take take them and
give them a test. See see see what the setup is like. Um and um Yeah. So sound sound like a plan. >> Yeah. And Craig, what was the brand you said you installed for your father?
>> That was an Eero. Eero. I think it's a Google product. And and no actually Yeah. Is that right? Actually, that was an add-on to the existing Eero. So, yeah. But
yeah, so the the >> You liked it. He likes it. >> Well, it I just Well, he doesn't know the difference, but um >> Okay, good. Transparency. >> Um Um I was just impressed with how easy it was to add on. That's I think it was
a mesh add-on. It wasn't actually a router, >> but I assume they have a similar I assume they have similar help for their their routers as well. >> But but it was >> a good question. >> Good question. >> But I think the standalone router for Eero is is more expensive than the one I
just mentioned. >> Oh, yeah. >> I'm not pushing that one either. >> All right. >> Oh, yeah. And include include the um the just the base the base price, the retail price in your recommendations, if you will. um so that we can get a good
ballpark idea of what we're what we're looking at. Um and uh tell me when would be reasonable for you to do this little half hour or so of work. Like can you get it to me by Friday? By Monday. >> If I don't do it now, it won't get done.
>> Okay. Craig's doing it now. >> Crazy right now. >> No, actually I'm I'm leaving town on Monday, so I really do have Yeah, I'll do it right now. Okay, great. Um, >> Monday. Monday for me. >> Okay. All right. Let's say let's say by Monday. Um, send send me your list. Like
I said, I will I will collate it. Then we can all look. Um, and um, sounds great. All right. Anything else? >> Uh, going to have a hut report.
>> Oh, yeah. Thank you. Thank you for the reminder. We skipped that. Um, Graham, anything interesting happening at our hut? >> Uh, no, nothing nothing very dramatic. Uh, I did um I did change from the from the summer regime for the HVAC to the
winter. So, so it's now running in um in uh in auto mode instead of cooling mode. So because in the winter in the winter then cold nights might might take the temperature down too low and and and
certainly it's still got to cool. So auto seems to be the best um the best way to deal with that. Um uh and um um and and and Gail I actually will forward because um because I did notice the
power went up a little uh and it seems like HBAC power. Um, so it might be because it was running because it's the season was running and I don't know. So any I'm now making a note each month or whenever I do change from one machine to
the other what the settings are just so that um so that if you so because there's all these you know there's eco mode and there there's various things on it. So um so any I will keep track of that and I I send it to myself as an email. I'll copy you so
you'll know. Great. >> You'll know what it's doing as well. So, yeah. >> All right. Thank you. >> Um, >> has Pet done their annual maintenance yet on the generator? >> He said he would do it this week and he
didn't get back to me again. He didn't get to you either, did he? >> No. >> No. >> It's all right. Well, it's it's on my reminder list, so it's not going to uh it's not going to drop off without getting done. We'll um if if we don't hear from him um by this Friday,
Grammar, I'll ping him again. >> We talked about uh seeing if we could do the um that test of the automatic transfer switch at the same time. >> It'll be a low test. Yeah, it'll be a real low test. And that's a good idea because because even though he his his
response was well there was a power failure but we didn't see it happen and we didn't I mean you know um yeah it probably worked but but if it was only a half hour power failure then the batteries would have I know it's so it's better to see it and see that it's doing
its you know >> if you have if you have a date set up at some point you want to give me a call I >> Oh sure I Yeah. All right. I'll I I'll give him another tickler, another
reminder on on Friday. Okay, Gail. >> Sounds great. Okay. >> Yeah. >> All right. Um, anything else? Nope. >> So, our next meeting now will be
back to the standard date. >> Yes, it will be on the 19th. So, very It's coming up quickly now because it's only 3 weeks away now. >> Y Okay.
>> All right. All right. Well, thanks, guys. And uh we'll be in touch. Send me your router recommendations and um I'll see you in three weeks. >> Okay. >> Okay. Good night everybody. >> Good night. Thank you.