One weather station user asked about possibly multidropping modems as a way to route and collect distributed weather station data. As we write, however, parallel developments elsewhere in networking hardware and software protocols are converging on another method. The new idea is to use local logic hubs to gather and relay data from any appropriately equipped mechanical or electronic device to a PC or PC server. This idea perfectly melds with the weather station's 1-Wire protocols and Java applets. In the hardware area, i Button developers have already built adapters for transmitting 1-Wire data over an Ethernet.
Ethernet is also economical, easy to install, easy to expand, and widely used.
Next, add to this handy adapter the right kind of software to handle distributed computing. Like many technologically aware people, we're onto Jini. Our contribution is to produce a chip set that allows our customers to quickly and easily join the Jini technology federation. You notice the present and future tense in these sentences. Keep checking our Web site for more developments.