Sochi, Day 18

It’s been a few more days than I anticipated since my last post, but we’ve been getting a lot of work done around here. My role here for USA Today Sports Images (USATSI) involves a lot more than just taking pictures — I am working as a technician, helping wire the venues for our photographers (more on that in a bit), as well as working as a photo editor when the Games start. The reason I arrived so early was to aid some of our network technicians in much of the set up that has to take place for such a big event.

Above, Nick Carter, USATSI director of technology (wearing the headlamp), and Jim Logan, a lead network analyst for Gannett, troubleshoot a VLAN switch in the bowels of Adler Arena.

Jim Logan puts a tip on an Ethernet cable in the catwalk of Bolshoy Ice Dome.

At each Olympic venue, both at the Coastal Cluster (where I will be based) and the Mountain Cluster, photographer positions are wired with Ethernet cables (I just learned that Ethernet is always capitalized … interesting). This is to facilitate the lightning-fast transmission of images that is required of wire services like USATSI. Ethernet cables run from the VLAN switches to the photographers’ positions, which, in some venues, can be 3-4 different locations. In other words, thousands of feet of cable has to be installed, tipped, tested for speed, retested, tucked away, retested, and finally, coiled up ready for the photographer.

For those of you not familiar with modern digital camera technology, the latest professional camera bodies made by Canon and Nikon all have Ethernet ports built directly into them. This can get really techie real fast, so I’ll give you guys the boiled-down version. Each camera is configured to transmit (just like an FTP program), which allows the photographer to simply “tag” each image she wishes to send. It then automatically transmits to the server, ready for editing. In this case, an editor, sitting in the Main Press Center several hundred feet away, edits in almost real time. Within minutes, images are transmitted to USATSI clients around the globe.

But it’s not always as easy as it sounds. There are lot of moving parts in this process, and one hiccup can cause all sorts of problems. I’m not versed enough in networking to understand all of these things (which is why I’m the one taking photos of these guys figuring it out :). In some cases, it has taken these guys (working with Olympic IT folks) hours to diagnose problems and get things running again.

All in all, it’s huge undertaking, which is to be expected at an event such as the Olympics. It doesn’t get any bigger than this.

And the Ethernet cable has to run through all sorts of locations … under stands, through floors, over walkways. Here I am after pulling cable at Sanki Sliding Center (luge, bobsledding, etc.). (Photo by Bob Rosato)

Cables coiled in Shayba Arena. Each media outlet uses a different color Ethernet cable.

Nick and I working with the guys from Sports Illustrated on one of the VLAN switches in Fisht Olympic Stadium. (Photo by Bob Rosato)

I learned how to tip an Ethernet cable. This required that I take a photo so I would remember the correct sequence of the wiring. :)

Bob Rosato (right) talks with Nick about some of that techie stuff I was talking about earlier.

Our little toolbox.

Working the Olympics can be super tiring. Jim gets a quick nap in our makeshift office in the Main Press Center.