Re: [tlug] What is the Sysadmin pager these days?

[Edward Middleton <edward.middleton@example.com>]

On 02/17/2014 10:32 PM, Darren Cook wrote:
> > I remember that an alphanumeric pager used to be the standard tool of the
> > trade as it was;
> > 1. Loud as hell
> > 2. Got reception everywhere
> > 3. Enabled you to see exactly what the alert was when you got it.
> > 4. Fairly small, so it wouldn't take up much space in your pocket
> > 5. Battery life measured in weeks not hours
>
> I wonder how much the monthly contract on a pager is? It might be better
> to get a dedicated smartphone contract, as the smartphone brings
> advantages that the pager does not have.

I think you would be better getting a standard keitai.  Smartphones in 
general have poor battery life and are no way nearly as robust.

> For instance, though it has been fiddly, I've done ssh terminal work on
> an android phone, while on a train, and also while hiking.  (It helps, I
> think, that my phone is one with the slide-out keyboard.) I've also used
> the remote desktop app on the same phone to check and restart apps on a
> Windows server machine. That was more painful, but only took about twice
> as long as it does from my notebook.

I have don't system deployments while in the mountains using a laptop 
tethered to the AU 3G network.  Latency on the server was pretty bad but 
its doable.

Edward