Ghost in the Machine

You didn't happen to have uploaded a video from an unmarked videotape from Japan into it now, did you?

I believe you have discovered a corollary to "The Phone Zone." The Phone Zone is that area at least 4 steps away from your desk, that the longer the phone doesn't ring, the more likely it will ring when you enter the zone.

Not everyone has a Phone Zone, and not all Phone Zones operate the same. The more you use your phone for work, the more likely you are to have a Phone Zone. Some are narrow, but they don't narrow until your natural movement slows. Some will not cause the phone to ring until you are just about to leave the zone. Of course, becoming accustomed to not receiving calls amplifies the effect.

Seriously, check all cords and connections. Are the floors wood or concrete? I'm thinking that vibrations caused by you stepping onto a weak portion of the floor might jiggle a connection. You might also consider the clothes you are wearing, the atmospheric conditions, anything that might cause an ESD.

Hard-wired connections -- CHECK

Concrete floors -- CHECK

Actually, I think there MUST be some stray field doing something, but I'll be @?*&#$ if I can figure it out. It almost has to be related to my mobile phone, but I can't seem to find the 'connection' (no pun intended) There is the wireless link for my keyboard and mouse that may be somehow involved, but I don't know.

For now, I have to just sit patiently until something is finished printing.

I feel like the guy with the rabbit-ear antenna who has to stand on one foot with his hand in the air to be able to watch TV.

[as to the PHONE ZONE, mine is backwards. My phone is MORE likely to ring when I am walking away from my desk, and get at least 20 feet away]

I had similar occurrences in my Spectrometer lab in the 1980's.

There were two people who when they walked in, regardless of the people on the crew on shift, generally caused the electronics to do wierd strange and unusual things. Sometimes it happened without them, but almost every time one of them arrived, we had an "crazy electronics"issue. No cell phones, maybe a pager.

We wrapped all cables between devices and consoles with metal foil that wrapped up our leco crucibles, and with proper set offs did the same to the backplanes of our instruments.

This greatly reduced the frequency of occurrence.

We attributed it to radio frequency, but never really did figure it out. It could have been supply electrictiy issues, but it was so intermittent we never did get a handle on root cause.

(Whats the 'radio frequency of the two guys? No idea. Could have been coincidence, but THere it was...)

Not sure this sheds more light than heat, but when you are involved in one of these deals, its different than the 50000 ft view from above.

Now if this ocurred, I 'd create a chart of occurrences and find the pattern.

milo

Sounds like "they" used you to be a "reflector" for "their" wireless connection, try to move your "equipment" one and each other until "they" not need you again to be "their reflector"

Let me clarify how a Phone Zone normally works.

The longer you sit at your desk and the phone doesn't ring, the more likely it will ring when you leave your desk and enter the zone.

If you get up from your desk, but you stay between the desk and the zone, the more likely your phone will ring the longer you remain standing, or moving about in the area between the desk and the zone. While you are in this area, if you are filling your hands or arms with files, papers, etc., the phone is more likely to ring the more items you accumulate. If you have a predetermined list of items to collect, the phone will most likely ring when you reach for the last, or the most important item. In other words, activity between your desk and the zone will cause the inside diameter of the zone to shrink.

Phone Zones have an inside and an outside diameter. Once you pass the outside diameter and the phone does not ring, the more likely it will ring once you reenter the zone.

If your phone rings while you are at your desk and you leave your desk soon after finishing the conversation, your Phone Zone is deactivated. However, the zone can reactivate itself the more you engage in non-productive activities, you engage in productive activities requiring your full attention, or you return to your desk with hot food or ice cream.

If you cross your Phone Zone without the phone ringing, and you immediately return to your desk to retrieve something you just realized you forgot, or to do a task that needs to be done right away, the more likely your phone will ring as you reenter the zone.

Back to your printer problem, maybe there's something wrong inside the printer. You might have someone like this guy take a look at it.

Have you got one of those RF key fobs used for a security access system in your wallet or on your key ring? Could one of those be causing the "phantom" connection.

Hi,

Thanks for the good list of suspects ...

I have two RFID cards, on my shirt-pocket ID, another in my wallet for access to my apartment. I also have an RF transmitter (sort of a garage door opener remote) for some specific door access.

As I write, I haven't had much time to test all the variables, but now I at least have some things to check out.

THANKS!!!

I want to believe.

I had heard of such things with laserbackscatter reflected off a window which was being modulated by sounds in a room, but your signal interference pattern recovery hypothesis makes that look stone age!

Hush little baby, dont say a word
And never mind that noise you heard
Its just the beast under your bed,
In your closet, in your head

Exit light
Enter night
Grain of sand

Exit light
Enter night
Take my hand
Were off to never never land

-Metallica lyrics to enter Sandman

mil

(GA btw)

Nicely written except that one high comma was missing that might make it difficult for non 1st language English speaking readers "were" should be written "we're" or "we are" .

Liked it otherwise!

I can't explain why moving away from the computer would have any effect but you may be drawing too much power from the USB ports. I count 4 possible USB devices: the wireless keyboard and mouse transmitter, 2 external drives and the printer. If the two external drives do not have external power supplies then they get their power from the USB ports. This would not be a problem with a desktop computer but laptops are more restrictive on how much power they can supply trrough the USB ports. (This would also vary between different laptop models).

If you are using USB powered external drives, try unplugging them to see if the problem goes away.

If this turns out to be the problem you can solve it by buying a powered 4-port USB hub. They cost about $12 online.

Thanks for the suggestion. Specifically, I have ...

WD Passport HD (only powered from the USB)

Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse (this has it's own power)

??? external HD (also with it's own power)

HP PSC printer (of course with it's own power, but on a very long USB cable -- about 6 feet). Actually, the cable for the printer is on the underside of my desk ... in other words, right over my lap. Hmmm, you'll see in another post that I not only have a mobile phone, but also two RFID cards, and a security RF transmitter on my keychain. I wonder if the LONG USB cable could be acting somehow as an antenna.

I've got more things to check now ... THANKS.

I'll start playing with wires and connections

Try replacing the batteries in the battery powered wireless devices. If they are weak, possibly your position affects the field enough to lose the connection.

I had a similar thing a few years ago, but it happened only when I switched on or off the lights in my computer room (2 fluorescents).

I assumed that the back EMFs from the fittings were getting into the PC power supply (high quality unit though) and causing this sound of a USB device being either found or switched off.

I added a better mains filtering unit for the PC and that was that!!

It must be "Olympic" Ghost.Wait till olympic is over.

It sounds to me like the printer's USB cable is not properly shielded or possibly has an open or shorting conductor (My guess would be an "open"). The longer the cable, the more critical the shielding. I would replace the USB cable after trying the cable in another port. This makes more sense than passive RFID stuff causing problems.

Have you considered your location(China)? It almost sounds like someone has back-doored you.

I may have found it...this look familiar?

About a month ago, a client was having a very hard time installing Pro E. I had suggested just about everything I knew. When he asked if there was anything else he could try, I replied:

Try holding your mouth different? Strap a dead chicken to your ankle and stick your foot out the window? Have a Buddhist monk meditate while a voodoo priest dances with a stuffed possum to the singing of a quartet of go-go girls as they sing the "My computer won't load software blues" to the accompaniment of Elmer Thistlewick's Down Home Hurky Jerky Jug Band? Stand on your head and gargle peanut butter?

Hope you don't have to do anything this drastic!

I would look at the highest level of disturbance first, which is static electricity. Most equipment is pretty well shielded and protected, but static is a huge signal. Ground yourself to a light socket ground as you get up and move away. If that prevents the problem, then you can start looking for the path.

Your problem might be related to the RF wireless keyboard and mouse and the RFID tags and transmitter. Disconnect the mouse and keyboard and remove the RFID items from the general area as well as turn off the transmitter and see if anomaly occurs. If it does not, reintroduce each item one at a time to narrow the list of suspects.

This reminds me of the house I grew up in. There was one spot in the living room, where I could step on the floor and make the television go all fuzzy. This was on a concrete slab with no cabling run under the carpet. The magic spot was located about 10 feet from the television. It was a strange phenomenon that we never figured out.

I'd bet a cookie that spot put you in a direct line between the transmission station and the receiver, thus blocking the signal!

That would be a possible answer if the TV were using rabbit ears, but since it was cable, with an aerial mounted above the house as a back-up, I don't think that was the cause. I liked the days of finding all kinds of goofy programming to watch on UHF.

Okay, folks ... Just an update so you will know I haven't also disappeared ...

No answers yet, but I'm still trying just about all your suggestions.

Regarding the 'spy beam' from outside, I doubt that is the case, although it IS possible someone is hacking into our open wireless, stealing bandwidth. Not much 'high-tech' here, so I doubt there are too many 'spooks'.

Regarding all the possible interferences, I have selectively eliminated all the possible contributors such as my RFID cards, my RF key-fob transmitter, and my mobile phone, all with no difference.

I haven't yet eliminated my wireless logitech gear, but that will come soon.

I have ordered a 'good' USB cable for my printer to see if that helps, but it hasn't arrived yet.

The search goes on. What I DID discover is the failure mode is that the print spooler 'disconnects' from the printer when I walk away, thus the printer locks. Unfortunately, at that point, there is no re-starting the print queue, and the print file can't be 'cancelled' unless I turn off the printer, and turn it back on. Interestingly, the printer 'connects', but sometimes shows 'off line' and and only re-starting my computer will fix that problem. A real PITA.

SO, for now, when I have something large to print, I make sure I have my coffee, and just sit quietly until it finishes.

Thanks for all the suggestions ... I will keep you updated.

Well, I gotta go ... Scully and Mulder are waiting.

(Mulder can wait ... Scully not for too long ... he, he, he)

If all else fails...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzlG28B-R8Y

Hi there,

Intrigue eh? Okay not likely a USB shielding issue.

1. Is the printer on a UPS....?

2. Are these wireless devices each part of the same set or are they individual...?

3. Has there been a period of low atmospheric humidy during the time frame of the reocurrence.

4. Have you changed outer clothing brands; does the fabric produce static?

5. Is a true diversity wireless router nearby?