Friday, September 07, 2007

Welcome to the twentyfirst century Mr Ed...

I now have cable broadband, it's only a 2Mb connection but that's all I need, in fact it's a little too much really, after all I only use the internet to do this blog and to do a bit of shopping, it's not as if I'm constantly downloading and uploading film size files. It has no download limit which is nice.

So the line was in and active but the modem is in the front room, I need a wireless router!
"To the shops!"

I'm now back home and the front room now looks a lot geeky, there's a laptop, a router, the modem and a six-way surge suppressor.
I've unpacked the router and taken everything out of the box, this didn't take that long as there wasn't a lot to remove:-

  • router
  • transformer
  • installation disc
  • warranty
  • and a bit of paper for American customers
Hmm? Where is the installation manual?

{looks at the wallet containing installation disc}
WTH! Where are the instructions, Oh! Wait a minute there they are , upper left...

If that's the instructions then this is going to be a breeze, I'l be back on line with the PSP momentarily.
Two and a half VERY FRUSTRATING HOURS later, fed up of being lied to by the software set-up routine and thinking that I'm in temporal causality loop I decide against getting the axe and giving the whole set-up a reprogramming it'll never forget and instead go crying to big D next door.
He explains that this sort of technology is designed by boffins with Phd's who wouldn't understand my grievance that this is all a steaming load and is harder to set up than it has any right to be. And that once they think they have it ready to go some bloke with a first in computers then has to workout how to make it easier for the average Joe to set it up at home (Netgear's bloke needs to have another go).
I'm doing stress, D turns to me and tells me to relax, to chill and all will work out.
An hour later D now accepts my feelings on the whole thing and that the software has been lying to us all this time.
We have a cunning plan, lets lie to the software and make the wrong choices.
BINGO!!! It works, I now have a fully functioning and secured wireless network.

UP YOURS NETGEAR!


So after after all that I really wasn't in the mood to cook and it's about 7pm so the choice is obvious, pizza.

I order my usual, tuna and chillies and this time I decide to get some garlic bread as well, yumm.
I use a new pizzeria, my last place have been sacked because they went lousy. Now this new place I'm using are really good and I usually order on line and sometimes when the nieces and nephew are around we'll get some pizza and they agree with me that the new place is much better than the old one. I even have an on line account with them, D down south has a well known pizzeria on his friends and family.
Anyhow pizza arrives, gets eaten, I have a couple of brews while channel hopping and then I go to bed.
This arrives on the mat this afternoon...
...and inside is the sort of advertising flyer that gets pushed through the door by either the postman or an employee of the company. They're now sending junk mail in envelopes!?
I have it!
Stealth junk!
Some people must have money to burn.

TTFN

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Ah, the joys of NETgears generic software packages. Lovely concept, lets make software to work on all specifications of PC and not tell anyone how to make it work....Its the 'roll a 6 to start' method of IT. Once you've had you bit of random good luck by guessing an arbitrary set-up option it will all fall into place.

You have to love IT don't you?!

All hail Macs, computers that set themselves up. I swear Macs will soon come with only one button on their keyboard that says 'LIVE' then they come to life and run themselves.

Also, Pizza Hut rules.

While they are a bit more expensive no one comes close to the quality.

have a good weekend.

And good luck to Ireland in the World Cup this week. England play later today against the Yanks....We have one of the largest ever points spread against the USA (nearly a 100 points ahead) but I'll be honest England are looking shaky going into this world cup.

later alligator.

The bastard child of Gene Hunt said...

On a bright note, sometimes ya get to reuse their stamp. Then who gets the last laugh?