this post was submitted on 01 Jun 2025
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What is this thing?

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Outside a local school window.
I'm guessing it has to do with networking but I'm curious about why they're outside, especially as they're not that high off the ground and can easily be tampered with from the street.
Stickers on them read "ROCK" and "ROLL".

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[–] [email protected] 51 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Antenna for something with flat through window ribbon cables. Modern glass (with e coatings) block lots of signals including mobile data. Just by hanging my 4g mobile router out the window I got from 20-30Mbps down to over 90Mbps !

Not sure on the rock and roll, prob just a bit of fun for the receive and transmit ones.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

That seems right, thanks!

I'll mark this as likely solved :)

[–] [email protected] 38 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I tried a image search and was not disappointed.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

So, what you're saying, is that those devices are the epitome of cute? Cool. OP, mark it as solved.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Bottom right seems to be a little shit, but I'd agree.

[–] [email protected] 28 points 1 month ago

Sirius XM had two satellites above the continental US called Rock and Roll. Maybe dedicated antennas for either and whatever someone has decided to measure or experiment with? Would match the format of typical Sirius antennas.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

We can't explain rock and roll to you, it's something you have to feeeel, man

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Although we can say that God gave it to us, and it should be inserted into the soul.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It means that the IT person is a Mega Man fan!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Long ago I had a bunch of servers under my command that I named after the bosses. Drillman, Dustman, Pharaohman, etc. and the main machine I connected from was Dr. Cossack. Everybody else I knew was using the typical Greek or Egyptian god names, I couldn't abide.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

I've got two DEI Surveillance Vans in range. Yes, it was very funny a decade ago, when someone else did it.

There's also a DEI Surveillance Sedan which I do give credit for, that's a decent riff.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago

Baba baba baba ba baaa 😔