LofD&PC Unwired
Well you didn't think I'd give up did you? After the disaster with Linksys, I admit I was pretty bummed, but, with Christmas on the way, I figured there was no better time to prove that it's just as good to receive as it is to give. So I logged onto to CompUSA online and ordered a Motorola wireless "G" Access Point and PCI card. Those of you who can read real small (or right click on the image and select the view option) will immediately note that the AP picture at the top, left, doesn't have a Motorola brand name. Well, it seems that even though CompUSA's website said "ships with 24 - 48 hours," what they actually meant is that one or both of these are out of stock.

Now I had ordered these in plenty of time to stick them in Santa's sack just before I pushed him down the chimney. However, as the days worn down and I didn't receive a shipping notice from CompUSA, I sent them an e-mail. "How come?" I asked. Two days later I received a reply and that's how I knew about the backorder. So I sent them another note (y'know, I think my writing style is sometimes affected by over-exposure to "Alice's Restaurant" as a fragile youth; one of the guys at college, Rich Berrera, would sing that song from start to finish daily, if not hourly), "So when?" I asked this time. After three days and no reply I sent a third note: "So cancel." And I was told that the order wouldn't be officially canceled until I received an e-mail from CompUSA telling me it had been. Three days, no notice. Christmas was now three days away. Have I mentioned that I really hate CompUSA at this point? Anyway, checked the order status manually and, seeing as how the word "canceled" appeared under the word "status," I virtually jogged over to Buy.com and picked up the Netgear gear I needed. The order confirmation was e-mailed to me with 5 minutes, the shipping confirmation arrived two hours later, and the stuff showed up three days that --December 27th, my new date for Christmas, 2004.

It took five minutes to install the AP, another 5 to install the PCI card. I spent the next two hours downloading XP SP2, downloading the Netgear software patch that was supposed to make the PCI card work with SP2 now that it didn't, and then uninstalling SP2. (I don't care what they say, it don't work with SP2, no-how, no-way, no-where.)

And I'm unwired. It's a good, serene feeling. Now, once the spring shows up and things get a bit warmer, I'll have to try setting up a system in the Basement of Doom & Pepsi Cola to see if it can connect to the network here.


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