Ok, it's me. Remember me? I've got a little bit of good news. In using some last-ditch efforts, I've found a way that -may- or may not get my computer running properly. I've got an appointment for it to be worked on, this sunday. With luck, probably a sizeable amount thereof, I'll be back online by Sunday night. Believe me, even though it's not been as long as one would think, I've missed you guys, and hopefully I'll see y'all on Sunday.

By Ryukumu on Saturday, September 15, 2001 - 07:32 pm:

Does this mean I should de-vandalize your Gears? j/k ^_^

By Brin on Sunday, September 16, 2001 - 12:41 am:

Good Show, Asher. Let's hope it works out.

Incidentally, I am now back, too ^^

By Asher on Sunday, September 16, 2001 - 10:04 pm:

Another gout of bad news.....
The computer people on my campus copped out on my appointment. I've changed my name, Sirus can tell you if you need to know. I'll continue trying to get online, though I can't be sure how successful I'll be I should be able to update the situation soon. Once again, my e-mail's linked at the top, and I'm accessible by aim at the name Kokuhyou if anyone needs to talk with me.I'll see you all around, with luck. Thanks again.

Asher (BTW, this is likely to be the last time I use this name.)

By Luka on Monday, September 17, 2001 - 04:13 pm:

Ouch...

Here's hoping everything gets better soon, Asher.

By Xenotech on Saturday, September 22, 2001 - 04:24 pm:

What is the deal with the computer? I don't see why a computer would "never be able to connect to a network". If you have a relatively new computer (3-4 years old) that runs Windows 98 or better, you should theoretically have no problems.

Talk to the tech guys again, and make sure they try all they can. Read the following as well, in case they don't solve your problem.

1) Buy a new Ethernet card. They won't run you back more than $20 or so. Make sure it's PCI, unless your computer is anything older than a Pentium, or if you have no slots left in your machine (then take something out and MAKE ROOM!). Linksys cards are inexpesive and good and come with decent tech support. If you don't know what cable connection you need, look at your wall. If you have something that looks like an oversized phone jack, it's an RJ-45. You can save money if you buy a 10-base-T card instead of a 10/100-base-T card. This kind of information should be written on the box of your card.

2) Buy a new cable. My friend once struggled for weeks to get his Internet up and all he had was a bad cable. You probably want a CAT-5 cable with RJ-45 connectors if you have the oversized phone jack in your wall.

3) When you get your drivers, install them on your machine. And then set them up, and reboot. Your machine should automatically recognize the cards and try to set them up, picking the right drivers. It might take a few tries to get this step right. Usually, it'll assign the cards to something crappy the first time and they won't work. Just install the drivers, delete the old one, and then reboot. Your computer should pick the right one the next time. If it still doesn't, then manually choose the right drivers. If you buy a new Ethernet card, the disk should come with the box, and there should also be better instructions.

4) Once you have the drivers set up, then plug the thing into the wall and check on the back. There should be at least one light: a green one. (It's labelled "Link"). If that's on, then yuo're 70% there.

5) From Start->Run..., type "winipcfg". (Only for Windows 98). It should bring up a box. There's a button called "Release All". Click on it. If it's not there, then you need to set other stuff up first but the Tech Support guys can help you with that. After you click release all, a bunch of numbers should appear. That's your IP address, and that means you're connected! If not, then at this stage, it's probably THEIR fault: they may be missing some connectivity or the jack in your room doesn't work or something like that.

If you don't understand all of this right now, that's all right. It's just more of "things to remember and watch for" when the Tech Support guys try to get to you.

Take care, Asher. You'll be back on and connected, and I'll try my best to see that you're up.