Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Happiness is Engineering

What do you give an engineer who has everything? You give him (or her) a problem to solve.

I became a very happy telecommunications engineer today when my new Internet and telephone hardware arrived! And I'm even happier to report, it works!!!

As usual (believe it or not) I started with the instructions. They're always in Dutch, but these days there's little I don't understand. And this time, as normal, they confirmed my idea on how the system should be set up.

Due to the lack of a key, currently carried by Rogier, I couldn't get into the main source of the cable feed. Ooops. So I worked around the issue and hoped. Untangling the cables that make up my old computer network was more than half the battle. Then a few quick connections, resetting a router, a few WEP keys, and a total system reboot later... I had Internet!

Technically I'm not supposed to. Firstly, I haven't received or signed those papers to transfer my cable service. Next, I really shouldn't be able to use this modem properly the way it is connected. But it's working with 6Mbps down and 1.5Mbps up. Tested and working as advertised. Lastly, the instructions explained how to activate my service with a user name and password from a different letter that I haven't received. So I really thought I was just taking apart my network, playing with the new equipment, and putting the original system back together for another few days. But instead, the system never prompted me to activate. It just worked.

I'm using my new Internet connection right now! Initial Skype tests say that voice quality is nicely improved. And at www.speedtest.net I got my highest numbers ever.

Isn't technology great!?!

8 comments:

Mother Theresa said...

Technically, smechnically...who cares if you're not supposed to...just enjoy it. :)

J. D. said...

Technology is truly a gift. But, is it from man's brain by way of heaven or hell? Personally, I love the fact that we can talk every day and even see each other if we want, although all those numbers in banks and commerce may really screw us up some day...Mom

Minka said...

Morgan, take a walk...your brian needs oxygen, before your re-arrange the center of the universe with those cables :)

I Dive At Night said...

Ladies, I need a walk. Been trapped inside all day due to poor weather and a lot of work.

But at least I've had a lovely evening, at home, on my new Internet connection. For example, I played the most spiritually significant game of checkers ever!

I Dive At Night said...

Oh and Theresa, the papers did come. They were later in the mail, rather than the courier delivery.

Charlene Amsden said...

Here you are chortling because your cable system doesn't work like it's supposed to -- which in this case means it is working. I am confused ....

Minka said...

checkers is cool, once you understand thr rules! It's snowing!

I Dive At Night said...

Quilly, and I am chortling. This cable company is famous for always messing up... but their mistakes usually work in my favour.

Minka, checkers is cool! If you've got a good checker playing partner. Not someone good at playing, but fun to play with.