This afternoon there was a widely reported internet failure. People
stopped using the SSID "sudoroom" and were instead connecting to a
mysterious orwellian-sounding open network called "cloudtrax".
The root of the problem was: somebody unplugged a random white
3-outlet extension cord under the 3D printer computer. This cord
reaches behind the bookshelf, where it supplies power to a small
ethernet hub. This ethernet hub supplies connectivity to the laptop on
the bookshelf, which happens to run our local DNS server. All DNS
clients are told to use that laptop as their DNS server, which helps
make space.sudo and
door.sudoroom.org function inside the space.
Without that laptop being up and connected, typical clients' DNS won't
work, and the internet will appear broken.
It would seem we have too many points of failure. For now I am going
to label this extension cord as "do not unplug: breaks internet".