Comdex Canada West 2001

Zooming In: The techie behind the techies

Dan Wood is responsible for ensuring smooth surfing at Comdex Canada West 2001

By Daniel Sieberg
CNN.com Technology Editor

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (CNN) -- His work is visible at nearly all of the exhibition booths. But he's not a programmer. Or a designer. He's responsible for keeping the Internet connection humming during one of the biggest technology shows in the city.

Dan Wood is the telecommunications manager at the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Center, which houses Comdex Canada West 2001 and the dozens of companies that use the Internet as a critical part of their presentations.

"With a show like this, it could make or break their demonstration," Wood said of the network stability. "For many of them, without connectivity they may as well not be here."

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This is Wood's first year dealing with the high-tech showcase, and he's already made a couple of changes. Instead of cables dropping in from the ceiling, Wood opted for a more esthetic look by running them along the floor and under the carpet.

And out of sight, out of mind is how Wood and his team like it. So long as nothing crashes, the show continues without a hitch. His team are like ball boys at a tennis game -- you really only notice them if they drop the ball. Wood said there have been no problems this year aside from assisting exhibitors with configuring their systems.

Wire, wire, everywhere

A fiber optic line brings the Internet into the building to the router and hub. It then travels through more than 25,000 feet of Category 5 cable that snakes its way to each of the vendors. Data can be transferred at speeds ranging from 2MB to 5MB per second, Wood said.

Wood changed the look of how cables are displayed at Comdex

It takes a crew of four about three days to install all the necessary equipment in preparation for Comdex.

Some vendors still use a dial-up connection, which means Wood has to oversee phone lines as well. For example, he said, Palm Inc. might use a dial-up connection to test a personal digital assistant (PDA) since the slower transfer rate is more reflective of what's possible for such devices.

A contrast to the companies vying for the attention of attendees, Wood prefers to come in under the radar.

"It's a good day for us when the show is installed and we don't get a call."

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