Disjointed Kitsch

Tim’s WinXP Dell box refused to connect to the internet this evening. He couldn’t tell me what happened exactly, but it was apparent from the modem lights that although it could see the DSL signal, and the Ethernet between the Dell and the modem was OK, the connection to his ISP, Verizon in his case, wasn’t going through.

XP saw the connection, but it turned out all WinXP saw was the connection between it an the DSL modem. The DSL modem was distributing a local 192.168.1.47 IP address and set itself up as the gateway at 192.168.1.1. I could ping the gateway (the modem) and the local machine but nothing beyond it. There was no DNS resolution at all. I tried re-installing the software from Verizon but it could never connect.

On a whim I tried connecting to the modem at 192.168.1.1 via the browser and I got a web page for setting up the modem (It’s a Westell 6100)! Looked kind of like router setup software so I started poking around with it. After getting nowhere, I “hard” reset the modem using the recessed button on the back. After I do this, the modem see the internet!! OK, back to the modem configuration page. Meanwhile Tim gets through to Verizon tech support and guess what, they want me to configure the modem by hand! Heck, a few more minutes and I might have had it figured out.

Evidently the username/password in the modem that connects Tim to Verizon had changed, been wiped, something so the Verizon folks reset it and within 10 minutes Tim was back online again.

Case Lessons:

• If after checking Windows internet settings and making sure the modem can at least see the DSL connection (just look for the green lights), check to see if the modem has built-in configuration software that can be addressed by a browser. Put the “gateway” address (probably 192.16.8.1.1) that Windows has listed into your browsers address bar
• If that works, see if you can find the status of the connection. In Tim’s case it was “down” and trying to reset the connection indicated that Tim’s username/password was invalid.
• Always call your ISPs tech support. I know it’s probably in India somewhere, but they can really walk you though this process, at least Verizon can. It may take time to get to a tech so just put the phone on speaker and catch the TV for a bit
• Try to remember what you did just “before” the problem developed. Was something new installed? What keys were pressed? What application were you in, etc.. The person that helps you will probably want to start there to help solve the issue. Tim didn’t remember since it had been 24 or so hours, but if he wrote it down I may have been able to work backwards from that point. As it is, we’ll never know how/why unless he manages to do it again (I hope not)

Another tech support case solved!

Just about every day I hear a talking head spout “doom and gloom” or “best thing since sliced bread” on some subject. Could be the latest gadget or some political item or a person or whatever. It’s always one extreme or another.

What I’ve wanted to do for a long time is to keep track of these best/worst attributions and then review them 1-5 years later and see how they panned out. Well, at least one person bothered to record a “doom” statement on Apple Computer made by Michael Dell back in 1997 and I for one, “Fan Boy” that I am, hold up an example of the “doom” sayers being wrong:

Shut down Dell and give the money back to shareholders by ZDNet’s Jason D. O’Grady — In October 1997 at the Gartner Symposium and ITxpo97, Michael Dell was asked what he’d do if he was in charge of Apple Computer. Dell responded to an audience of several thousand IT executives “I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.â€? According to Mac Daily News: A month later Steve Jobs responded […]

You can read the rest of the post to see the conclusion by Mr O’Grady, but suffice to say that with Apple’s stock closing up on perhaps the best quarter in their history and Apple’s market cap more than that of Dell’s and twice the value, perhaps it’s best not to piss off Mr Jobs.

Apple’s sale/demise has always been a subject of much discussion by the “doom-sayers”. One of these day’s the heads will stop talking Apple doom/gloom and start talking about Apple as they really are: an innovative, risk taking company that turn in a fairly consistent performance year after year and product after product and not a “flash in the pan”.

At the break, I’ve got the lead! Some things I’ve learned so far:

• Go for more than just batting average. Those RBI, home runs, etc.. count too.
• Start as many players as possible every day. Players get days off, especially catchers so have backups.
• Get a good multi-position backup - e.g. Freddy Sanchez can play 2nd, 3rd and SS so I can play him when my regular/s take a day off or during slumps.
• Get pitchers - starting and relief. I’m not sure of the best balance here but more than 1 good closer from a consistent winner, e.g. Jonathan Papelbon, is a must. Have more than 3 starting pitchers and rotate the starting ones in.
• Make daily starting line-up changes based on the DL, days off, starting pitchers, etc
• Don’t be afraid to pull a starter if he’s sagging during the last 7-15 days. Points matter, not loyalty
• Keep an extra outfielder. There are 3 OF positions and more times than not one of them is out.

I’m not a guru on this by any means, but this is what I’ve leaned so far in a 1/2  season. Playing fantasy baseball has made the past-time more real to me and as a result I’ve payed more attention to the games, players, etc.

I’m anxious to see how the 2nd half of the season goes!

Funny. I was about to write a post on Apple computers the other day and for one reason or another stopped. Glad I did since today’s more appropriate given that it’s the 30th anniversary of the first Apple computer going on sale.

30 years is a lot of water under the bridge and as many have commented Apple is hardly recognizable from the company that Woz and Jobs started – except perhaps in one area: pushing the envelope.

Apple has always been out on the cutting edge with innovation, industrial design, quality, customer relations, etc. From the humble Apple to the Lisa, Mac and and all subsequent Mac computer lines, Newton, PowerBooks, iPods, OS X, Macbooks, AppleTV, and now the iPhone, Apple’s out there pushing and not in a “me too� way. They are pushing that envelope way out.

Not everything is a success, e.g. Newton and perhaps AppleTV, but it’s out there. You can love ‘em or hate ‘em but you can’t ignore them because they drive innovation in whatever industry they choose to target - computers, music, phones.

I’m a fanboy but a realist. Apple products are not for everyone. You have to be a bit of a “risk taker� to own an Apple product. You’re putting yourself on the line to step beyond conventional thinking and into the “think different� arena.

I’m excited to think about the next 30 years of Apple products and where Apple will push things.

Guy Kawasaki is a familiar name to me. I’ve been reading his stuff and about him since his days at Apple. His work as an Apple Evangelist helped a lot of the faithful keep our collective “head upâ€? during some fairly dark days. He’s moved on since then getting involved with startup ventures and what not, but he’s still an evangelist at heart – always promoting, encouraging, and telling the world at large what he thinks and experiences.

His “By The Numbers” post in his blog is a prime example of his evangelism – relating the startup of his latest venture Truemors in a way that makes the entire venture seem worth the effort despite setbacks. True to his style, even the negatives have a positive edge. Truemors will succeed or fail, but no matter what, Guy will positively promote the heck out of it and in the process educate those that bother to read in and between the lines.