Q: I have a customer who has several apartment units. He recently contacted me for assistance in preventing tenants from stealing batteries from the apartment smoke detectors. Any suggestions?
A: There is a company called Security Technology International (STI). They make protective cages that go over the smoke detectors and come with tamper resistant mounting hardware. Another suggestion would be to provide the customer with lithium 9 volt batteries for longer periods between replacing. Smoke detectors should still be tested every year. STI also makes protective covers for PIRS and other security devices. A good company to check out.
Q: I am having trouble with a network connection. I am trying to connect a DSL modem to a port on a network hub, but it is not working. I have double checked my RJ-45 connector wiring and everything is ok. What could be the problem?
A: Sometime you will have trouble when connecting transmitting and receiving equipment ports. The DSL modem connector is what is referred to as a reversed connection. So I am suspecting that you may need to supply what is called a “Crossover Cable”. Try reversing the orange (1,3) and green (3,6) pairs and see what happens.
