- Ugh...I've been unable to get online for almost two weeks due to a hardware
problem, and that's put me way behind schedule - I have a lot of catching up to do
on the message boards and everything else I visit as a result of it! X( Here's the story:
Around last Tuesday, my cable modem was acting up, not connecting to the Internet at
all. I thought it just needed the usual rarely-needed "reboot", so I unplugged
it for a few minutes, and then plugged it back in. Every other time I did this, the
modem would be working good as new (if not, then the cable connection is out and I just
have to wait - this is even rarer, though, and it's usually up and running again in, at
most, a few hours)...
But not this time - It connected, but v-e-r-y s--l--o--w--l--y, finally going out
again shortly thereafter...I repeated the process a few more times (unplugging
other equipment as well), and it didn't help to fix the problem at all. I waited until
Friday to see if it would be working by then, and it wasn't - I then had some technicians
from Adelphia come over to check the cable line to see if that was the problem. After
they had done things like testing the line, changing the connection splitters from the
lines downstairs (to close any open ports - that is, keeping noise from said open ports
from going back into the line, to avoid a reduction in connection quality), and setting
up a test modem of theirs (which worked perfectly on the old computer, but not the new
one - The important thing is that the connection worked this time), they had
determined that their line was OK - Which meant that something else (the modem, router,
switch, or network card) was the faulty part...And I couldn't do anything about it till
Monday =(
After waiting till Monday, I called Armstrong Microsystems to talk to them about the
problem I had, and they sent over one of their technicians (who was actually someone in
my Computer Science class at Lenape Tech) to check out the problem. After awhile, it was
confirmed that the modem was the problem (the switch and router were working just fine),
and so she called back to them to see about getting it replaced - I ended up having to
have the modem sent back to Toshiba to get a replacement, which I didn't receive until
yesterday (even though it should have been here by Thursday, four days earlier)...
...And the one they sent back came with the modem only - It didn't have the
papers, the CD (which wasn't really needed, since I didn't uninstall anything), the thing
to hold it vertically (which I liked, as that's how I mounted it - I can still keep it
vertical without that thing, but it's going to tip over sooner or later), and most
importantly, the AC adapter (*)! >_< I had to wait an hour or two for my
Dad to get an adapter, which I had to put in a different surge supressor because
it was slightly larger than the old one and wouldn't fit in the one I use for this
computer. Then, just when I go to call Adelphia to get the modem activated...They're
closed. I had to wait till today to call them and finally get it
activated.
((* - UPDATE: Today, at 3:15 PM EST, I got another box, which came with everything else
that was supposed to come with the modem - The CD, the thing-to-hold-it-vertically, the USB
cord [which I forgot to mention before], and the AC adapter! ^_^ The only
thing that didn't come with it was the papers, but I never used them anyway ^_~))
Next time this happens, I won't hesitate to consider the modem (and not the cable line)
to be the most likely source of the problem, and I won't hesitate to get it replaced,
either - I'll probably just go out and buy a new one instead of sending back my current
one, given how long it took to get all the parts so I could get back online...
I'm just glad this whole ordeal is finally over now! =D
- And now, some good news - Since I turned 16, I never bothered to get my driver's license
(though I did get my learner's permit...Which I let run out, and haven't went back
to get another one since then, as I haven't been driving in the last few years ^^; ), I
went to get my photo ID Friday =) It's a good thing I got it that day, too - If I didn't,
I'd have to wait till Wednesday to get it (the center to get photo IDs at is only open
Wednesday through Friday), and I'll need it this upcoming Wednesday as proof of
identification for something job-related...Who knows, I might finally get a job this
time! ^_^
- I've also taken some of my "time off" to take care of a couple of things: I deleted some
no-longer-needed files; archived entire folders of stuff I want to keep, but no longer use,
into Zip files, making it a lot easier to manage the remaining folders, and; made
some alterations to certain files that my parents and I use often, for things like church
bulletins and Lions Club data, to really speed up getting the work done for them -
In the case of one set of Lions Club files, I combined the data from thirteen separate
files into a single file! =D
- In some site-related news, I have recently made updates to all things carbunklian:
Carbuncle's glasses have been changed from lime and rectangular to light blue and
circular, and the color of Diamond's headband has been changed from dark red to dark grey,
so they'd look better (as well as more unique in comparison to the other characters) -
Their pictures, as well as the "Carbunklian Appearances" document, have been updated to
reflect these changes. Also, all their pictures have had a few pretty-much-unnoticeable
flaws removed as well (it was bugging me to have them there =P). And finally, the three of
them have a few more nicknames on their character pages (now rearranged by type, and then
by letter) ^_^
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