Can his hardware get along? (09/20/06)

Maybe we just weren't meant to have a wireless router.

Maybe it's something the computer gods - in Silicon Valley or wherever they are - decided shouldn't exist at our house.

To the uninitiated, a wireless router is a little device that allows more than one computer to use the same Internet connection at the same time.

In an ideal world, you'd simply plug your home computer into it, creating a household-wide wireless network that would allow others - say, the wife's laptop or your student home from college - to log on while you surfed through eBay looking at oriental rugs you'll never be able to afford.

But that's an ideal world.

In the real world, it's another story entirely.

The tale goes back months. In fact, this is the second column I've written about it. With luck, it will be the last.

I bought the wireless router back in November of last year, figuring I'd get it up and going before the Christmas vacation. That didn't work.

I tried again in the early summer, figuring it would make life easier while Sally was home from Indiana University. That didn't work either.

Finally, last week, I threw myself on the mercy of the professionals.

Our Mac guys were in town to do some service work on the newspaper's computer system. They wrapped up about 8:30 p.m. and agreed to come over to our house to set up the cursed router.

"I'm sure it will only take you a couple of minutes," I said. "I'm just doing something wrong."

Feeling humiliated as they followed me home, I showed them the equipment and got out of the way.

The humiliation was joined by a twinge of guilt. These guys had had a long day, and I was imposing on their good will. Minutes passed. Then more minutes.

I kept checking on them. They sure seemed to be making more progress than I had, but there was an abundance of muttering, and heads were being scratched.

Finally, after nearly an hour of trying, they delivered the news.

No luck.

"Your router and your modem are fighting with each other," I was told.

Then tell them to knock it off and behave, I wanted to say.

It turns out to be not that simple. Both the router and the modem are pretty sophisticated; both of them want to be in charge, with the other piece of equipment subordinate.

We all know people like that, but I'd never encountered such behavior from technology.

I've been assured there's a simple, inexpensive fix. And the Mac guys will find a buyer for the too-smart-for-its-own-good wireless router.

But, just the same, I'm beginning to think the forces that drive technology are working against us.[[In-content Ad]]