[hulka]

CRB p.176
Noise represents any interference between a user and their target. Noise can be created by sheer distance or other factors, such as jamming or obstructions. Each point of noise incurs a –1 penalty to any test taken in the Matrix. If noise is greater than the device rating, the device cannot access the Matrix or provide wireless bonuses.
Example: MetaLink Commlink DR1. Im in Seattle and Host where i want to go is in Denver cca 1400km. In table  on p177. Is noise level more 100km Noise 8. My commlink cannt access to host in Denver. But why i have to lost access to Matrix and wireless bonusses?
Im from Czech and I can access every web page on the World.
I understand, Noise is like lags, but when im connected to internet via my provider in Prague i can reach Amazon server in Amerika and donnt loss connection or cannot loss access the Internet.from Prague to Amerika is far farther than from Seattle  to Denver.

[Michael Chandra]

Because of the Sea Dragon. Our internet connection goes through massive cables through the ocean. In Shadowrun, nothing in the ocean is safe, so everything has to be done wireless. So you don't go through a router then through a simple huge cable, instead everything goes by satellite.

As for Hosts: Hosts are either location-bound or universal. If you connect to a universal host, distance doesn't matter. If it's location-bound, generally the Host won't allow remote connections anyway. So you won't have a problem connecting to Hosts due to distance, but you wouldn't be able to call a guy in Denver when you're using a crappy commlink.

[Ajax]

Physical-distance induced Noise only comes into the picture when gaining access to a targeted location-based Host as part of Hacking. For general purpose "surfing the web" style Matrix access, you aren't connecting to a local Host but instead connecting to a universal host... Sort of like a "backbone" that everyone can access... as long as they pay their bills.

Also, the MetaLink costs a mere ¥100. They sell them via vending machine. They're lousy commlinks.

[ZeroSum]

In addition to what MC and Ajax are saying, remember that mechanically speaking, a DR 3 commlink with Noise Reduction and a sattelite link functions much like a modern day satellite phone. Noise due to distance is capped at 5, and your DR3 commlink can reduce noise by 2 ensuring you will stay connected except in the noisiest of environments and can call anyone in the world no matter where they are (as long as they are online too, of course).

In some ways, yes, the Matrix in 2080 is technically speaking worse than our modern day internet. But you also have to remember that the two share only the most basic similarities.

Rather than comparing it to current world tech, I tend to try and think of it as something else entirely, because really, that's what it is.

[hulka]

Thank you, this make better sense. I donnt find cap of noise level for distance in all 6e CRB. Either Local and universal host. Just Host.
Maybe p.185 "Some hosts exist entirely virtually and appear as floating above the black plane of the Matrix, while others are attached to physical hardware at a specific location."

[Hobbes]

For the most part the Distance to a Host is 0.  It's right there.  Hosts don't have physical hardware ( occasional plot devices aside) so there isn't any distance to generate Noise.  If you're connected to the Matrix, you're connected to basically every Host.  Why?  Because Dead Technomancers and plot stuff.  5th Edition Kill Code has the fluff and story stuff if you're interested.

So to the typical 6th world Matrix user, Noise isn't really a factor unless they're actually knocked off the Matrix completely.  Most of what they're doing is in a Host.  Commerce stuff?  Host.  Work stuff?  In a Host.  Smart Home?  All linked to the building's Host.  Car?  Gridguide Host.  Virtual Clubbing?  Dance Dance Revolution Host.  VR call?  Set up a meet in a Host, something with a view.  Or a pool maybe. 

Noise is really Hacker specific.  This applies for 5th Edition and 6th Edition.  Noise is for Hackers generally.  Thick enough Spam Zone to knock low rating Commlinks offline?  Sure, annoying as heck having to reboot.  That's about it for the typical Matrix user in regards to Noise.

All IMO of course.  Just my view on how the game world actually works on a day to day.  Hosts do most of the heavy lifting.  The AR sculpting is basically Ads to get you to get a mark/get access to some kind of commerce Host that wants to sell you something.

[Xenon]

Not sure if intended, but in this edition it seem as if noise due to distance both cause loss of wireless bonus functionality as well as loss of matrix connection.

You will almost always become disconnected from them Matrix if you attempt to make a com-call from Seattle to Berlin (as device rating 1-6 < noise due to distance of 8 ).


In this edition it seem as 'some' hosts are virtual and appear on the matrix sky. However, in this edition it is no longer clear if you have zero distance to them or not.

This might be read as if you for example connect to the matrix from a cafe in Berlin then you will have noise due to distance to a virtual host on the Emerald City local grid in Seattle.


In this edition it seem as if other hosts are attached to physical locations.

This might be read as if for example a building have a host then the host will likely be attached to the physical location of the actual building.


In this edition it doesn't seem as if gaining access on a host also give you a direct connection to devices slaved to the host.

This might be read as for example the physical distance between your cyberdeck and a device slaved to a host that you just gained access to will not automatically become zero.


In this edition you can also fully ignore any noise due to distance on your next action if you have a cyberjack implant and two edge to spare.

...instead everything goes by satellite.

I think that if you use a satellite link to bounce the signal via low orbit satellites rather than using regular wireless communication then noise due to distance is limited to 5, no matter how far away the physical device or physical server you are trying to connect to... or how remote and far away from any regular network you are.

...mechanically speaking, a DR 3 commlink with Noise Reduction and a sattelite link functions much like a modern day satellite phone. Noise due to distance is capped at 5, and your DR3 commlink can reduce noise by 2 ensuring you will stay connected except in the noisiest of environments and can call anyone in the world no matter where they are...

Are we saying that situational noise (such as spam zones or a directional jammer device) and noise due to obstructions (such as wireless inhabiting wallpaper or the jam signal action) does not stack with noise due to distance. That all noise, not just noise due to distance, will be limited to 5 if you have a satellite link?

Noise is really Hacker specific ... Noise is for Hackers generally.

In this edition it seem as if they are blurring the lines a bit and talk more about Technology Specialists which can be any combination or hybrid of decker, rigger and technomancer (and that Noise affect all Technology Specialists). Similar to how they also talk about Arcane Specialists (and that Background Noise affect all Arcane Specialists).

Then again, Technology Specialists that normally use a RCC ('Riggers') get automatic noise reduction equal to the device rating (1-6) of their RCC so I guess they are affected a lot less than Technology Specialists that are normally using a Living Persona or a Cyberdeck/Cyberjack combination ('Hackers').

[Stainless Steel Devil Rat]

It might be easier to just ignore Noise except when its presence or absence affects PCs.  NPC civilians can telecommute to work, check social media, and chat with friends around the world. They also suffer inconveniences as the Plot needs based on spammy AROs.

Once the runners need to keep civilians from calling the authorities because the team just did something that would reasonably cause onlookers to call 911, THEN a Jammer's Noise knocks their commlinks offline even though the same (or more!) amount of Noise from ambient spam was already established as being a problem for the hacker or rigger.

[easl]

In addition to what everyone else has said, most 21st century western nations very effectively enforce "no jamming" laws. And they regulate the EM spectrum, sectioning it out and only letting a single user per set of frequencies in each local area. In the world of Shadowrun, these nations are much less powerful. So local punks putting up jammers for fun don't get caught, and competing radio stations or what have you are free to just try and blast each other out at all frequencies.

So it's pretty plausible, at least to me, to think that the ambient EM noise in SR is actually worse than it is today, simply because there's no legal power willing and able to stop all the local jamming or regulate the airwaves.  Society has broken down...and part of that society was 'clear airwaves.'
 

[Xenon]

To be honest I think the intent might be that wireless bonus functionality as well as matrix connection is not affected by noise due to distance specifically. That wireless bonus functionality and matrix connection are only affected by situational noise (such as spam zones or a directional jammer device) and noise due to obstructions (such as wireless inhabiting wallpaper or the jam signal action).

If this is the case then noise due to distance will only act like a negative dice pool modifier on your matrix tests (think the difference in latency between 20ms and 200ms when playing FPS games) but you will never be completely cut off your connection due to distance alone.

...and since there is no matrix test involved with Send Message (or Change Icon, Enter/Exit Host, Reconfigure Matrix Attribute as well as Switch Interface Mode) you will be free to place that call from Seattle to Berlin without any issues at all.

Note that this is pure speculation on my part. Rule wise when it comes to wireless bonus functionality and matrix connection as a whole the book does currently not seem to make any difference if the noise is generated due to distance, situational noise or due to obstructions.