Battling the Network

Yesterday I went to Best Buy to buy a Tivo. I have been eyeing them for awhile and meanwhile, Morrigan has been Tivoing my shows. Well, now they are free after mail-in rebate so I thought I'd go for it.

I also bought a print server while there.

When I got home, I started with installing the print server. Problem is, my printer is downstairs, and my wireless router is upstairs. So up I go with my printer, server and laptop, to the bedroom. I hook everything up, follow all the instructions. It all works. Not too difficult!

I bring it all back downstairs, get it all set up the way I like it and the job is complete.

I then open the Tivo, activate it, and begin to hook it up. Hooking a new piece of equipment up in my household is no small task. I have many pieces of electronics in my entertainment center. I have done my best to tie up cables, label, and tuck back neatly. But, it's still an unbelievable jungle. You tug on one cable and they all tug. There are no more outlets available and definitely no more space. Not to mention my TV is too heavy for me (or 2 of me) to move. So I carefully hook up the Tivo, moving equipment around, digging out the flashlight to see, etc. I try to tuck back there to find a spare outlet and have to unplug my VCR to make room. I don't remember the last time I used it....

At this point, it's hooked up, but it needs an internet connection. I don't have a home phone so I have to hook it up to my broadband connection. Of course, that is sold separately. At this point, after I head to my appointment, I should be able to run back to Best Buy, get the adapter I need, come home, finish the Tivo, clean up a bit, finish decorating the Christmas tree, shower, fill out that 9 page application for my interview in the morning and get to bed at a reasonable hour.

After fighting rush hour to get home from my appointment and Best Buy, I come home with the wireless broadband adapter for the Tivo. I hook it up, it's getting signal....should be a piece of cake.

I go through the set up and it's not working. After a bit of troubleshooting, I learn that I cannot have a WAP secure connection with the Tivo, I have to use WEP. I try for 45 minutes to change the security on my network with no avail. After searching the website for my router, I figure out how, change it to WEP, change the key and am on my way. At this point, I try to go through the Tivo set up again. Still not working, getting a few different errors. I try entering the IP manually, moving around the adapter, resetting different pieces of equipment, looking up forums to see who else has had this issue. It was ridiculous. For awhile, it looked like I needed a signal booster. At least, according to the forums. That didn't make sense to me because the Tivo saw my network; it just wouldn't find the DNS server. But, all the forums said that was their issue. I work on it until 10 pm where I realize I need to stop because I still have Law & Order SVU to watch (which now I must watch upstairs since my Tivo is still in the setup stage), print off my application to fill out, shower, and prepare for the next day. I wanted to be in bed by 11, but 12 shouldn't be bad.

So, I go upstairs with my laptop to watch my show. I go to print my application, and I am not connected to the print server. Damn it, I changed all the settings. I try to change the settings with no luck. After about 30 minutes, I just go downstairs and hook my computer to the printer to print. No luck. Not sure what I did, but I cannot get it to read the printer. I mess with that for another 15 minutes and finally decided I'll just try to re-setup the print server. So upstairs I go again with the printer, the print server and my laptop.

I start over on the set up, no luck. I reset the server and try again. No luck. After about an hour, still no luck. At this point, I'm starting to freak out some. I still need to shower, prepare for my interview, set up clothes and stuff for the next day and print my application. How else can I get this thing printed? Everyone I know with a printer is sleeping. I suppose I could find a 24 hour Kinkos that will give me access to my email to print this application. I really didn't want to have to leave the house. Ugh!

At this point, I start to freak out some. Nothing is going right, I don't feel prepared, I really really want the job, I'm not going to get enough sleep....yea...all minor things, but freaking out nonetheless.

I finally give up on the print server, hook the printer back up to my laptop and after about 15 minutes, I figure out it was still trying to find the wireless port versus the USB port. I get the application printed and jump in the shower. I try and think through my interview while showering. It's time to focus.

I get out, dry my hair, and start to complete the 9 page application which includes my entire work history, wants 2 paragraphs on why I feel I'm qualified for the position and the question, "list all the places you have lived". HAH! Can I have a couple of sheets of paper?

I print off the job description, a couple of extra copy of my resumes, and get my folders ready. Now, it's time for bed. It's 2:30am. I need to be up by 7am. Usually, that wouldn't be that big of a deal except for the fact that the past week has been spent staying up late and getting up early for travel or the occasional consumption of adult beverages. Plus the fact I tend to need 8 hours of sleep.

Today had to be a better day. Everything was smooth getting ready, the interview went very well. I still have a mess to come home to, but at least the interview is over. I go to Best Buy to price wireless boosters and decided I am not spending another $80 on this stupid Tivo.

I go home and start to mess with everything again. After about 15 minutes, I read through some more forums on these errors. Deep down in one of the forums, someone brings up to make sure the WEP key is Hex and not alphanumeric. WHAT??? Nothing that Tivo provided in literature or in online support stated this. So I go into my network's security settings through DLink (now that I know how to do that) and change my key yet again. Enter the new key and guess what....it works!

Wow! It's a miracle. By this time I need a nap and am not motivated to work on the print server, clean up the mess of boxes, wrappers, and manuals nor decorate the Christmas tree. I guess I'll save that all for the rest of the week and this weekend!

My parents are considering getting a Tivo. Luckily I went through this before they did.