A TALE OF the WIRELESS INTERNET (AKA WHAT A PLONKER)

Yesterday (Thursday) My wonderful boss decided to actually do something about the router in the office for the desktop computers. The IT people had been telling him to replace it for about 6 months.

Now all the computers in the office are somewhat old (newest one is 3 years old) and bottom of the line specs even when new.

So, anyway, off he goes and comes back about an hour later with a new router. “Look, plug and play” he says. Yeah Right!

He’s bought a wireless router. Latest thing he reckons. He also thought all the computers would be able to talk to it without wires. At the age and spec of our computers? Come on! Even I knew that was never going to happen.

So he plugs it in and………….absolutely bugger all! No internet access, but even worse, no access to our server where all the files and programs are stored.

Now he’s in panic mode. This is evident because he begins snapping at everyone and shouting.

I’m sitting there with my feet on the desk and reaching for my book, which doesn’t go down well either. Well why not? Nothing I can do without a computer.

Like a white knight to the rescue comes the voice of our lady buyer over the swearing and recriminations. “Hey this can be used as a wired connection too. All you have to do is run this little mini disc thing”. Women! You gotta love am. She read the instructions.

OK, so disc is put in and activates all by itself. Ain’t technology wonderful? Well it would be except the cheap sod had bought one designed primarily for domestic use and it really didn’t like our ADSL line, so the disc stopped and left us with a message “contact manufacturer for further assistance with installation of this product”. Oh well. Back to the drawing boad.

Today (Friday), I turn up for work. Still no access, but we do have wireless connection, so home again, pick up my laptop and back to work.

It is at this point our wonderful manager thinks to inform me that the plug from the incoming line to the router seems to be damaged and won’t stay in place so no connection.

There was a deal of swearing at that point, but after a while I went for the low tech option. Stuffed it in the connection and plastered blue-tac all round it to keep it in place.

Connection established, computers back on line after damned near 2 days offline.

Ah well, I’m on holiday next week so when the blue-tac dries off in the heat and the connection pops out again, I will be sitting back in the sun and I won’t give a damn.