Frustrating Thursday

I've had a lot on my mind recently. Yesterday was no help to me. Woke up in the morning to find that my Internet connection was lost. Before I go on further, I just want to mention that my Internet set-up comprises the telephone line to the adsl modem and from there, a cable to the wireless router. Another cable connects this wireless router to my desktop whereas the notebooks and netbooks connect by wireless.

As I said, I woke up yesterday to find the Internet connect lost. At first, I fiddled with the desktop and saw that although there was no problem with the desktop-router configuration, there was no outside connection to the Internet. So that ruled out any computer-related problem.

The problem was to figure out next what could be wrong with the equipment. Inbetween communicating with a friend in Kuala Lumpur and my own trial and error in Bukit Mertajam, I couldn't find any possible fault. Could it be a problem with the service provider then?

I contacted TMNet and asked them to check at their side and they said that they could see no technical problem at their end. They suggested that perhaps I should reinstal the modem router software. Tried this several times but always hit a snag. The modem router couldn't talk with the service provider at all.

Then last evening, something cleared up in my mind and I decided to hook up my secondary telephone line. Again, an explanation. I have two Internet lines at home. I applied for the second line more than a year ago only because I wanted to get a netbook for my son. I looked at it and saw that it was a good deal. But I also had to apply for a second telephone line as the terms of that netbook application would require a new Internet line as well. I had opted for the slowest (and cheapest) connection. All in, only about RM37 per month, which I can cancel after about 15 or 18 months. Just about now, actually. And in the past year or so, I believe that I had turned on the modem perhaps four or five times. All due to a downtime with the main connection.

So at least for last night, I had some slow connectivity on my netbook. I was able to clear my essential emails, my wife was able to clear some of her office emails as well. But it was frustratingly slow on the netbook.

This morning, after a good night's sleep, I awoke to an idea. Why not plug in the desktop cable into this secondary Internet connection? Would it work? Kept my fingers crossed. Yes, it did work. Then I tried it the other way round. I connected the modem router to the secondary telephone line. No, it didn't work this time. So I think my problem must be with this modem router. On its last leg already. Or as we used to say in the vernacular, kau tang already. It's time is up! Definitely! Looks like I'll have to make my way to the computer shop soon for a replacement....