[dba-Tech] SOLVED!! Not Sure Quite What I'm Dealing With Here -Update 4

Jim Lawrence accessd at shaw.ca
Sat May 14 15:10:12 CDT 2011


Hi Tina:

In business, never charge different rates or give deals. Either charge full
rate or nothing at all. Relative and neighbours seem to fall into the latter
category though they do end up paying in dinners, beer and home-made wines.
;-)

Jim



-----Original Message-----
From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Tina Norris
Fields
Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2011 7:58 AM
To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] SOLVED!! Not Sure Quite What I'm Dealing With Here
-Update 4

Hi Rocky,

Yeah - if they'd had to pay someone to do what I did for their computer, 
they'd have been at least $1K better off to just buy a new computer.  
But, this is family, and I do not charge family, ever.
Of course, along the way, I learned an awful lot.  I'm still no wireless 
network expert, but I know a lot more about that stuff than I did before 
I started.

Oh, and since part of what was wrong with their computer was a virus 
spread by infected USB devices, I set Vipre up to scan USB devices at 
insertion.

My high school student granddaughter may have an understanding of just 
how important all this care and caution is, but my middle school and 
elementary school granddaughters don't.  They just know they had to wait 
a couple of weeks while Tima (that's a combination of Tina and Grandma) 
figured it out and fixed it.  They don't yet fully appreciate how much 
important "stuff" they almost lost.  Their Daddy does, though.  My 
son-in-law really loves me!   :-)

T

Rocky Smolin wrote:
> Wow.  Do you realize what new career you've just qualified yourself for? 
>
> And now we know why Apple is so popular at home - plug and play - you
can't
> do anything wrong because you can't do anything except exactly what they
let
> you do.  Which is what most home users need.
>  
>
> R
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:dba-tech-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Tina Norris
> Fields
> Sent: Saturday, May 14, 2011 7:17 AM
> To: Discussion of Hardware and Software issues
> Subject: Re: [dba-Tech] SOLVED!! Not Sure Quite What I'm Dealing With Here
-
> Update 4
>
> Hello All,
>  
> I thought I would finish the story.  The Fields-Family computer has been
> completely re-established.  It took doing the reformatting and
> reinstallation sequence twice - not sure why, but there were other details
> going wrong, too, that may have had an impact.  Anyway, first I copied all
> the data files, documents, photos, music, videos, etc. from the
> Fields-Family computer to an external hard drive.  Then, I did the
complete
> re-installation of WinXP-SP2, with full reformat of the hard drive.  Then,
I
> did the SP3 update.  I re-established drivers for the peripheral
equipment.
> I set up the Admin account separate from the Family account.  I got Vipre
> installed, running, and regular scans scheduled.  Their copy of Office
2003
> was not their original disk set and they had no idea where the original
set
> was.  I had a spare set, so I used that.
>
> Along the way, I noticed that the wireless network connection kept
dropping.
> You already know that my DL-415 router at the POE was failing and I
replaced
> it with a NetGear WNDR3400 router.  Well, the DL-415 in my office was also
> dropping the signal - I watched my link status monitor and saw the signal
> drop out, then come back, repeatedly.  So, there is now a new WNDR3400 in
my
> office, too.  Also, I noted that the USB wireless adapter on the
> Fields-Family computer wasn't functioning.  
> I replaced that with another new NetGear adapter.  While I was buying
that,
> the store manager asked me if I wanted to invest $7 for a three-year
> replacement guarantee, in case anything went wrong, or the USB connector
> broke - and I burst out laughing, because that was exactly what had
happened
> to the old one.  It had apparently been bumped - no surprise there, with
> active kids and the adapter sticking out from the front of the computer -
> and the connector had a nice slope to it at about a 5-degree angle, rather
> than parallel to the rest of the body of the device.  So, yes, I bought
the
> additional guarantee.  This new adapter came with a cradle, so, I used a
USB
> port in the back of the tower and placed the adapter in its cradle on a
> shelf above the work-station.
>
> With all this new equipment, I reconstructed the entire wireless network
> - starting with the router at the POE.  With my new computer in my lap and
> both new WNDR3400 routers sitting on the floor, I set the first one up,
> named it, and created a new SSID name - made note of all the settings.
> Then, I set the second one up, named it, and joined it to the new SSID -
> made note of all the settings.  This router is cable-connected to the
first
> router, no placed back in my office where it belongs.  The DL-415 router
in
> the garage apartment is still working fine.  All the IP addresses are as
> they should be, and the 128-bit security key is established for the whole
> network.  It's working beautifully, now.
>
> I've almost finished transferring the files and programs that I use all
the
> time to my new computer.  This five-year-old one will probably become one
of
> my student computers here in the little classroom I have in my home
office,
> or maybe it will serve as a sort of backup machine to use when I don't
want
> to risk harm to the new computer - haven't decided, yet.
>
> Just wanted to let you know I got it all working again, and corrected some
> errors along the way - such as making sure the girls are not working in an
> administrator level user profile, and their wireless adapter is out of
> harm's way - things like that.  Larry is working on the bookcase and work
> station construction for the library in their house.  When that is
> completed, the Fields-Family computer will go home, and I will have room
for
> one more student computer here.
>
> Best regards,
> T
>
>   
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