The Build from Hell: Part IV: Christmas Morning: Part II: Network Nuisances

...First Blood, Part II: Revengeance of the Revengening: The Sequel: Episode I: Breaking Dawn.

Isn't it nice when things just work? You get in your car, turn the key, and the engine doesn't explode. You pick up the phone, push some buttons, and don't get electrocuted. You turn a knob on a faucet and acid doesn't come out.

This is the way computers should be and, until recently, the way they had been working for me. That all changed with The Build from Hell.

So as we read in the last chapter, Christmas morning is rapidly deteriorating from "spend wonderful time with wonderful family" into "fight to the death with technology". At least now we can actually see stuff on a screen. This is a big step forward. The next step is to plug in the network adapter.

I have a fancy-dancy D-Link USB wireless network adapter that I used to connect the old computer to our wireless network, so I didn't need to run a 50' network cable from the den to the living room. The wireless network doesn't work when the baby monitor handset is turned on. Weird, but irrelevant to our tale.

I installed the drivers for it, plugged it in, and attempted to connect to the network. It connected, but--oddly--had no internet connection. Windows' network troubleshooter was exactly as useful as a screendoor on a submarine. I tried resetting the adapter, resetting the connection, unplugging and replugging the adapter, cussing at it, sacrificing a goat to Baal. No dice.

I checked the router page, and it showed the computer was connected and had an assigned IP address, however, running ipconfig on the computer showed a different address, not in the given subnet. A google search showed that sometimes, D-Link's built-in software could conflict, and there were recommendations to remove that, install the driver only, and use the Windows network connections to connect. Tried that and it still didn't work.

At this point, I was out of time and patience, so I just left it and went to take care of the boys. About 30 minutes later I returned and, hey! An internet connection! Aren't the best problems the ones that solve themselves? Actually, not at all, because then you don't know how to fix it when it inevitably occurs again.

The next day, when I tried to turn on the computer, the same problem occurred again. The adapter insisted it was connected, but it did not have a valid IP address, and no internet connection existed. I could either a) wait 30 minutes to see if it would fix itself (which would mean the computer would never have a connection within 30 minutes of boot up), or b) stomp on the ground and utter curses to the nine hells.

But then, I thought, there was also option c). The D-Link adapter was the second adapter I bought for the old HTPC. The first one I bought--a Rosewill adapter--didn't work (I believe the failure mode was that it would only stay connected for about 5 minutes before dropping the connection, requiring an adapter reset). However, I still had it lying around. I installed the drivers for that, plugged it in, and hey! Bingo! Best part was that the old failure mode didn't exist in the new computer; the connection stays live and active as long as the computer is turned on.

The moral of the story is never throw away that old computer hardware you got, but you thought didn't work. You just might need it someday!

Also, Baal is unimpressed by your sacrifice of one measly goat. Try a virgin next time.