Matrix questions, My search-fu has failed me Options

[raggedhalo]

Hi folks,

For a long while, the PCs in the game I GM have just used agents to deal with everything in the Matrix, as none of them wanted to take it as a specialty. However, a new player joined the group and wanted to play a Matrix-based character. He eventually decided on an AI (we're playing through Emergence and just finished Tlaloc's Pox before he joined, so it worked nicely). Anyway, having a PC who's dedicated to the Matrix has brought up some questions.

1. How good are Agents? Specifically, do you have to "wind them up and let them go" - i.e. give them their orders to hack into some node and save the princess of whatever - or can you keep in touch with them and thus effectively just use them as a direct proxy for your PC? Thus meaning that the most efficient approach would be to buy a Rating 6 Agent and let it do everything. That seems wrong to me but I can't find a reference to contradict one of my munchkin-esque players.

2. Dave the Hacker switches on his commlink, loads up his programs, and goes VR. He hacks into Mr. Badguy's commlink and sets off an Active Alert in the process, causing an IC to be launched and start kicking his ass. Where are Dave's programs etc. running? Are they running on his sweet Response 6, System 6 internal 'link (meaning that he can use Attack 6 on this IC) or are they running on Mr. Badguy's Response 4, System 4 commlink, meaning that his Attack program is impaired? If it's the latter, doesn't that mean that sec-hackers just need to monitor program load and notice when the Response of the node drops because a tooled-up hacker turned up? I know that this is how agents work (and therefore AIs) but what about fleshy hackers?

3. ECCM adds its rating to your commlink's Signal to resist jamming. Does it add its rating to the Signal to oppose wifi negation, such as by wireless-inhibiting wallpaper or paint? One of my players is convinced that it should.

4. The size listing for various Signal ratings seems to indicate that a cybernetic commlink shouldn't have a Signal of more than about 2 (headware transceiver) and a normal one shouldn't have a Signal more than 3 (average commlink). Now, off-the-shelf links (i.e. the Fairlight) have Signal ratings of up to 5. What's up with that?

Many thanks!