Wireless Connectivity

[Aressel]

I was not involved in this, but it was related to me by my boss.

Customer calls in complaining about not being able to connect to the D-Link wireless router that we sold them. Problem is, we never sold them a D-Link wireless router. We don't sell D-Link gear here. So, boss schedules a service call figuring that they're just trying to connect to the neighbour's wireless. It never is quite that simple though.

It turns out that they did by a D-Link, just not from us, and they had their son set it up for them. This of course means trouble.

Boss sits down at their main computer, which is wired in directly, and does an ipconfig on it. It turns out that it is connected directly to the cable modem. This, of course, strikes him as odd. So, he takes a closer look at the router. It has two cables plugged into it (They only have one tower, and the laptop). That is also odd. He tugs on one of the cables that is plugged into the router, and traces it back around, to the other port on the router.

Their genius son had wired the computer directly into the internet and the router into itself. So much for family tech support. After the boss realized that, it was a quick fix.

[technical.angel]

Love it!!! :: giggles ::

[Geek King]

Just one step up from the folks who plug their power strip into itself. I guess it keeps us in business.

[IT Grunt]

That's just as bad as the folks who plugged the phone line into the 'Line' and 'Phone' jacks on their modems.

[technical.angel]

Just one step up from the folks who plug their power strip into itself. I guess it keeps us in business.

I think I might have seen that, once.

[smileyeagle1021]

That's just as bad as the folks who plugged the phone line into the 'Line' and 'Phone' jacks on their modems.

sadly I've done that before

... then again I figured that out on my own without calling tech support

[gunsage]

My dad once accidentally hooked his computer into port one and the modem into port two on his linksys. I corrected the problem rather quickly, but he had a blank stare when I explained why that wouldn't work. I guess he was under the assumption that if it fits, it'll work!

[HawaiianShirts]

So much for my brother the so-called computer guru.

If only my customers could see these stories...

I have so many people tell me about some amazing relative of theirs who can do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING with computers. They use this to turn down our offers of service contracts and computer set-up services when they're buying a new computer. And I'm sure some of them DO have a certified computer genius in the family, but I have recognized many of these people when they come in complaining that their computer is having some kind of problem. Of course, they get mad when they find out that either we can't fix it or they'll have to pay for us to fix it and demand to know why it is having problems. The answer "Because it wasn't done right the first time," does not make them less angry.

In my experience, this genius relative turns out to be one of the following:
1 in 10: Actually skilled in computer work. Competent.
1 in 10: Knows how much he/she doesn't know about computers. Helps when able but can admit defeat and suggest a visit to the correct people or places for support. (I'm this one in my family.)
7 in 10: Can change the desktop wallpaper, but arrogantly tries to fix everything, usually screwing things up more by messing with the registry and BIOS and other such things, then hides mistakes in vehement blaming of Microsoft, the manufacturer, or me.
1 in 10: Imaginary.

Sigh. Will they ever learn?

[Broomjockey]

My idiot brother figured that he was a 733t hax0r after watching "Hackers" way back when.

Given the description of the brother, I'm not sure if it's intentional anymore, but it's "1337" 7=t, 1=l. I think it's funnier your way though.

[Trayol]

For some reason, my parents expected me to be the computer geek in the family. I still don't know where they got that crazy idea from. I do admit I have fixed our wireless router, but that really entailed just doing a power cycling process or re-install the software. Any other problems are beyond my capabilities.

[RetailWorkhorse]

\My idiot brother figured that he was a 733t hax0r after watching "Hackers" way back when, and ever since then he's decided that he's the self-appointed tech guru for the family.

Good movie, even if they messed it up (you don't crack like that).

I set up a wireless router at my grandsire's place and promtly told her NOT to touch it if it started buggering, to just call me. Who does she call? My Aunt. The Computer-Nerd who only knows about computers because she is addicted to Evercrack and World of Warcrack. Aunt buggers the system and calls tech support at the Cable company with ME on the second line.

I had that system jury-rigged like that for a REASON. It was very simple to just unplug the router and plug the cord into the computer. Does she do this?

Is the Pope an Atheist?

Means No.

Instead she spends almost 45 minutes yelling at both me AND the poor techie before she FINALLY gets it through her head that the Router is MINE and is a third party so the tech can do nothing about it.

Finally the Dinosaur (I HATE THAT GATEWAY!!!) is back up and running on the interweb and I am suffering from the biggest migraine my Excedrin bottle has ever laid witness to.

By the by; she's not allowed to even look at my computer funny.

[powerboy]

I know a great deal about computers. Never took classes, just self taught. But my brother is the same way, but he actually knows what to do. It helps that he actually looks it up online and reads the books. I should start reading the books

[simplyanother]

For some reason, my parents expected me to be the computer geek in the family. I still don't know where they got that crazy idea from. I do admit I have fixed our wireless router, but that really entailed just doing a power cycling process or re-install the software. Any other problems are beyond my capabilities.

One of my siblings has decided that I know about computers, because I've had one for a decade, and he has had one for about 3 years. Apparently, this means I know stuff. I don't! I don't claim to know anything.

He'll call me up... "So, my computer is making a weird noise, what does that mean?"
"Well, it means it's making a weird noise."
"What do I do about it?"
"Uh, beats me, call someone who has a clue?"

He'll call me up asking me about internet problems, anti virus problems, problems with the operating system, all kinds of shit.

It makes me feel a little special, that he thinks I'm more knowledgeable than I am. Then I wonder why he hasn't figured out that I never am any help.

I set up our wireless router, but that didn't require any special abilities other than...RTFM.

Oh, once I was convinced that my scanner wasn't working. I was pissed too, because it was brand new. I hadn't plugged the damned thing in. I'm one of THOSE people. But at least I figured it out before I called anyone to complain. Or rather, someone pointed it out, before I called someone to complain.

Of course, they bring it up anytime I have an issue with ANYthing. It's been a few years now. It was like 2 scanners ago. They could stop. They won't.

Yet, they still all think that I know stuff about computers. I don't. I can use one.

That apparently makes you the computer guru in my family.

[Naaman]

I set up our wireless router, but that didn't require any special abilities other than...RTFM.
<snip>
That apparently makes you the computer guru in my family.

Yes it does