Extending Our Network

It has been seven years since we first installed our DSL modem to provide internet access in the apartment.  But our telephone company modem can't push the signal through the three brick walls between the modem and into our two back bedrooms.  It was time to look into a WIFI extender such as we have used back home. It will be nice to provide internet for our guests in the privacy of their own room.

This meant a fun shopping trip to a nearby "electronics mall." 

As usual, Roshdy knows the best place.

Frequently, "getting there" in Egypt is just as interesting as the destination.  The electronics mall we were headed for is located on Al-Arish Street, just on the other side of Pyramids Road (Pyramids Road is called Al Haram. Al-Arish is marked with the red line on the map.)

But Pyramids Road is currently closed in this area since the metro subway is being extended from downtown all the way beyond the pyramids and Grand Egyptian Museum into the suburb of 6th October.  It previously ran only about a third of the way out to the pyramids - just out to Giza Square and Cairo University.   Of course, this is a big project - five years and 9 billion Egyptian pounds according to this article.  As a practical matter, this means that sections of Pyramids Road are closed temporarily while the digging and construction goes on.

When not occupied by heavy Cairo traffic, Pyramids Road is a beautiful boulevard lined with palm trees.  This photo shows the current view from the east end of the construction zone.

We parked near Pyramids Road and walked several blocks around the blue construction barriers which provided a chance for a close-up look at the work.  Petrojet, an Egyptian company, appears to be the lead contractor on the project in this area.  According to their website and project list, they are a large (35,000 employees) and very experienced piping and drilling contractor which seems like a good fit for the job.  Let's hope it only takes the planned five years.

  

  

 

When we got to the other side of the road, walking along the sidewalks that we shared with motorcycles and an occasional tuk-tuk, we arrived at Al-Arish Street.  With Pyramids Road blocked, there were even more than the usual array of street vendors on Al-Arish, selling clothes and miscellaneous goods as cars moved slowly along the street.  The electronics mall is just off Pyramids Road before the Metro supermarket where we occasionally shop.  I was surprised that I had not noticed it previously.

 

We walked into the "Hyper Tech Mall" and headed toward a small shop on the first floor.

 

The owner had no problem coming up with a D-link extender for me. 

 

I also was interested in a small UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) to keep the modem powered up during our frequent power outages - if it was available at a reasonable price.  They had just the item, a low voltage mini-UPS for about seven dollars.  I don't believe I have seen such a small UPS at home, to say nothing of such an inexpensive one.

I installed the D-link extender which works perfectly, forwarding our network connection.  It turns out that I had neglected to note that our TE-Data modem is powered with 12 volts and I purchased a 9 volt UPS.  We will have to check out the store's return policy and see about getting a 12 volt model.  The carton shows models available in 5, 9 and 12 volts with capacities of either 1 or 2 amps.  A very nice product if it works.

Update, 2/8/2023:  Our vendor at the electronics mall on Al-Arish was happy to take back the 9-volt UPS and try to find us a 12 volt model, but came up empty.  He refunded the full price and took back the unit.  We located a 12 volt model downtown where it cost just about three times the price of the Al-Arish unit.  The new unit looks identical in appearance and both come from China, of course.

I suppose the rent is much higher in a downtown mall than out here on Al-Arish street.  The new unit cost me about $18 which isn't too bad.  It works fine, and has been powering the DSL modem for about a day now.  I've pulled the plug on it and the modem keeps on running so I am optimistic that we will still have Internet the next time the power goes off.