As of Monday afternoon, Roanoke's fickle wireless network downtown was up and running, according to the city's department of technology, which checked and OK'd the system Friday afternoon and checked it twice again Monday.

In recent weeks, Downtown Roanoke Inc. has fielded calls from people reporting that the network has been up and then down, up and then down. Last week, Kathy Kinsey of DRI said the Wi-Fi system has been unreliable for some time, especially in portions of its coverage area.

But attempting to nail down specific details, either about Wi-Fi fixes or woes downtown, is akin to being a spectator at a pingpong match in China.

City officials say, "You'll have to get that from Cox [Communications]." Cox says, "You'll have to ask the city."

Last year, Cox Communications won the city contract for the downtown wireless network and took over the limited-range system Oct. 1, 2006.

Wireless networks allow people with laptop computers, BlackBerries or other digital devices to connect to the Internet without fretting about cords and cables.

With much fanfare, the Wi-Fi network went online in September 2003 in an area focused around the Roanoke City Market. Considering the blistering pace of technological evolution, 2003 was a long time ago.

Mike Pedelty, a spokesman for Cox Communications, reiterated Monday a point he made during an interview Friday. He said Cox has received little notice, either from the city or from frustrated residents, of problems with the Wi-Fi network. The city has twice requested that a related server be reset, he said.

Otherwise, Cox's monitoring shows its provision of Internet has functioned all along -- which would suggest that the network's challenges are rooted in equipment, known in computerese as "hardware."

Last week, Roy Mentkow, director of Roanoke's department of technology, said Cox is supposed to be the network's steward and DRI the system's overseer.

The city and DRI, a downtown development organization, each pay half of the annual cost of $4,800 for access to the Internet. It's likely they will share costs if components of the Wi-Fi network need repair or replacement or if additional equipment or system engineering is required to increase the network's reliability and reach.

"When we got involved, we took the equipment that was already in place," Pedelty said. "We are working with their hardware."

Pedelty said he hopes a meeting set for Friday will improve communication between Cox and the city about the wireless network downtown and also clarify city officials' expectations for the Wi-Fi system going forward.

"There was a lack of communication about who owns what and what the city's goals are for the system," he said.

Nationally, many cities now provide free public access to the Internet via a wireless connection. But rising costs and unexpectedly low demand have led other communities to either bag their Wi-Fi systems or refrain from rolling them out altogether.

Friday's meeting will include representatives of Cox, the city and DRI, said Melinda Mayo, a city spokeswoman. Mayo said the meeting will be closed to the public. She would not disclose its time or place.

Outdoor wireless networks encounter challenges indoor networks do not. Even windblown, leafy trees or pigeons can disturb the signal. Pedelty said he had not heard the rumor that passing trains can temporarily disable downtown's Wi-Fi -- a tale which, if true, blows a lonesome whistle of irony for this railroad-rooted town.