The Saga Of The Router And The Modem, Part 2

I love you, Chip!

The saga of the router continued this morning after a difficult night’s sleep. I just knew there was something very wrong, but I wasn’t sure what it was. During the night when I woke, I thought that perhaps there was something wrong with the modem, but I am not enough of a computer Geek (just a Geek Wanna-be), to understand the intricate workings of my computer, modem and router.

When I got up this morning I decided to call my ISP. Certainly they would know if there was a possibility that the modem was failing after the thunder storm, causing my new router not to work correctly. I simply could not accept that two routers were defective.

I spoke to a nice technician, and I explained everything to her. We tossed a few theories back and forth, tried a few things and by the end of the 45 minute call, which left her totally perplexed, I was put on a list for an in house service call.

I left for my hair appointment with the question still ringing in my head. Was the modem defective or was I just the unluckiest computer user who ended up with two defective routers?

I sat in the hair dresser’s chair, while my hair processed, looking a bit like the old Phyllis Diller. I tossed the idea around in my mind some more, and the more I tossed it around, the more I was sure that the modem was the problem.

As I finished up at the salon, I decided to speak to someone I absolutely trust regarding computers. My computer guru, Chip. I called Hubby on my cell phone and told him I was going to swing by Chip’s to speak to him about the problem.

When I got to Chip’s I stood there explaining things as best as I could. I finished my explanation of events and then asked him, “Could this have anything to do with the modem?”

His answer was a quick and firm, YES! Apparently it has something to do with the fact that the older routers work on lower frequencies and if a modem is having a problem, then the older ones don’t need as much kick to work. The newer routers, work at a higher rate and throw a broader signal. They require a modem to be working efficiently. He had actually had this exact thing happen to his own system a year or so ago.

At that exact moment my cell phone rang. The ISP serviceman was at our home. I left Chip, raced home and told the serviceman what I had learned. He didn’t exactly believe me. He tried a few, slick tricks that all repairmen know, and nothing worked.

Finally the nice serviceman switched out the modem with a new one. Bingo! Problem solved. The nice serviceman had never heard of anything like this happening before. He wrote down the model number of my old router and then wrote down exactly what had occurred. I think he was truly in awe of the situation.

After he left I sat down and smiled. I KNEW there was something wrong, and I knew it had to be something with the modem. Maybe there is hope for my geekiness after all.

Thanks, and I love you, Chip!