Illegal networking on US warships

On the USS Manchester (LCS-14) there was apparently a difference of opinion on the issue of free access to the Internet. While the rules at sea state that there's no such thing, the majority of the NCOs saw it differently and installed a Starlink antenna on deck, set up a WIFI with SSID STINKY and then also installed ethernet cables on the ship, as there were apparent complaints about the signal quality ... So far quite bizarre.

One would assume that the officers would realize at some point that there was a little stinker and they did. But several searches were unsuccessful. Partly because the conspirators had been tasked with the search but likely also because they never thoroughly searched on deck. Which doesn't make much sense to me.

The biggest risk here is obviously the internet. If it's just a local LAN it's still a breach of the rules but one that is much less problematic. And the most likely option to have internet access on a ship is a Starlink dish. 

In total, over a dozen NCOs were involved in the fun which was probably also the reason for the inexplicable stealth quality of the equipment. There was always someone involved in the search who really wasn't keen on discovering anything.

But as the bridge didn't seem to stop nagging, STINKY was eventually turned into a WIFI printer ... something that didn't even exist on the ship.

A personal search by the CO and XO was also unsuccessful. Although they could see the WIFI they were ultimately satisfied with the statement that it did not exist. And this was also explained to the rest of the crew, who had no access. This was three months after the installation.

A few weeks later, the dish was discovered by a systems officer. However, this information only reached the commander days later - and almost by chance - because someone had to speak to their mentor first.

This fun further includes a few fairy tales, document forgery and ends in an unexpectedly mild disciplinary sentencing for all involved.

To come up with the idea that you could get away with this already casts a bad light on the ship. And the fact that it worked for months confirms it.

It's not really a testament to the leadership on board. While the fact that almost all of the NCOs  were involved in this somewhat explains the inability to locate the problem. This however speaks of some serious issues on board.

But it is a great story 😁