Everyone who knows me, knows I am a techie. I am really good with computers, networks etc. Generally, I don’t even read directions.1 I am one of those people who can walk into a room where the computer doesn’t work and it fixes itself.2 I have no explanation. I understand computers and they understand me. Although, I have to confess I do not get Blockchain. I am not sure I ever will get Blockchain.3
I had put off doing this literally for years. I had lost all of my original network passwords and I have 3 airplay speakers4 that would also have to be setup. I finally got to the point late the week before last, with our $300 cable/phone/internet bill and got in touch. We decided to cut a bunch of channels, up the internet speed 5 and I got the bill down to $160 with $20 per month, for a year.
The Shaw tech6 game and he assured me that the modem would cover our entire house. Even though I have always needed a router extender. Of course, you know where there is going – it didn’t cover the whole house. I had no internet in bed.7 So, I went to London Drugs and bought a NetGear modem. I came home and started trying to set it up. Each time I tried to set it up, it required that I get in touch with Shaw to either bridge or unbridged the free rental modem router thing. I did this about 5 times all told.
I will freely admit that I should have read the directions. I am not one who likes to read directions and most of the time they are superfluous to me. Either I figure it out or I look it up online. After about 6 hours of playing with this fucking NetGear modem, I packed it up and back to London Drugs we went. This time, I did what I should have done and bought an Apple product. I got a Time Capsule for my router, which I will also use for Time Machine. I had it working in 15 minutes. No directions needed.
Now we are working on the Bang and Olufsen sound docks. They make a superior product but connecting them to a network is horrible. They could take some lessons from anyone. God even Microsoft could make it easier.
Geez – even God supposedly created the world in 7 days.
- I am not bragging here. ↩︎
- It once freaked out my evangelical christian step-sister when I told her the password for my mother’s computer and it worked. Apparently, she had tried 10 times and it hadn’t worked. She wanted to know what kind of sorcery I had used on her. ↩︎
- I am beginning to think that age 53 is my outer limit for understanding complicated techie things. Or perhaps my enthusiasm for such things is waning. ↩︎
- Which were a bitch to set up to begin with. ↩︎
- Shaw graciously offered to rent us a modem for free. No comment. ↩︎
- They said it would be a $100 service charge for a tech to come out and set up the new modem. I said no and that I had been a customer long enough that this charge should be waived.
On a side note – the tech guy said that they are trying to replace them with apps. So always ask for the tech guy and never agree to pay $100 ↩︎
- Some might argue about the need for internet in bed. I need internet in bed. ↩︎
Days since breast cancer diagnosis: 58
Dispatches from the Swamp 