Home Networking

OK, I admit it. Even though my professional life has taken me away from the true front lines of computing, I still relish the idea of being a bit of a “guru”. I was a early adopter of home wireless networking having a home network for about 5 years now. Up until this afternoon, I was still using the original equipment.

When I first set this all up, I can remember it being pretty painful. Routers had to be configured, my WAP beat down and secured and some of the devices needed static IP’s. A long and aggravating afternoon.

Since that day a few years ago, I have rarely visited the corner of the basement where all this stuff is. If a configuration change was needed, all the devices had Web interfaces. I certainly got to the point where I didn’t even think of all that was going on down there.

Until yesterday. I sat down in the kitchen, popped a Red Bull and thumbed my laptop sign in and ….nothing. Email is wedged, Firefox is stalled. Shucks, network is down. This after years of the classic five 9’s.

After typically overthinking the problem, I determined that my router was hosed.

Went to Radio Shack, spent $60 on a Linksys WRT110 Broadband Router with Wireless Access Port. Got home. Opened box. CD said “RUN ME FIRST”, which I did. Answered three or four questions, plugged everything up and that’s it! Network configured.

Alas, the days of being a proud techno-geek are beginning to pass. Now, when I boast that I rebuilt my home network with the same capabilities I had, even my most technically illiterate friends just shrug.

There is a concept of ubiquitous computing, where everything is attached to a network and the Internet. We are getting closer.

Home Networking