Since I now work from home full-time, having a reliable internet connection isn’t a luxury. It is mission critical. When the local provider told us our only option was a shaky 6 Mbps DSL line, we knew it wouldn’t cut it. Instead of settling, we decided to do what we always do: build something better ourselves.
Enter “Dishy McFlatFace.” This little dish surprised us. It delivers around 250 Mbps download speeds, and so far it has been rock solid.
With that accomplished, it felt right to start laying the groundwork for the rest of the homestead’s digital backbone. I have begun installing our network rack. It will eventually hold our WiFi, POE cameras, and, down the road, home automation gear. Wherever possible, I am hard wiring connections instead of depending on wireless alone. I want dependable, stable systems that let us focus on the real work of farm life without fights over buffering or camera feeds that drop out.
Because at the end of the day, this place is not just land. It is our home. It is our base. And in many ways, it is the foundation for everything we hope to build.
We may be deep in the hills of northeast Tennessee now, surrounded by ridgelines and woods instead of concrete and streetlights, but that does not mean we are giving up the comforts that help our lives run smoothly. We are simply blending what is essential with what is meaningful. The quiet of the mountains, the smell of fresh trees and soil, the hard work of building something real, and also a connection to the world when we need it.
This little upgrade might seem small to some. Two hundred fifty Mbps internet and a rack with cables. But for us, it is one of the first bricks in a long term foundation. Steady internet means I can work, communicate, plan, share this journey, and stay connected while the rest of the farm grows slowly and intentionally.
Just like our animals, our gardens, and our land, we are starting with the basics, doing them right, and building from the ground up.
