New Modem And Superbowl Blow Out

 New Modem

The DSL modem, 2 wire starting acting up this summer.

It would all start with my home page not coming up when I hit the browser icon. After investigating this, I would realize that nothing on the web was coming up on the computer and all the wifi connections were complaining and not linking.

Periodically I had to pull the DSL mondem's  plug and let it reset itself. The modem would get down to the power light coming on and then it would blink off and turn itself on in a couple of seconds. The power light would power up and the internet light would turn to red and then to green and the wifi light would turn on the connection was made and life would be good for a couple of weeks. This series of events was starting to occur with greater frequency. The first thought is that my ATT connection was crap. It wasn't.

In two other occasions I had to replace the modem. This is pretty good since I have been a DSLer for a long period of time... maybe... 14 years? In the past I walked into Best Buy and found a modem that looked like the one I had at home. My computer is set up for this.  But this time there was no 2 Wire solution. No box looked like the 2wire box that I had.

 At Best Buy or any tech store outlet, It is important not to get hooked into a "router" since these look very much like a modem wifi box. They do not have a connection with the DSL line and just broadcast the signal to other areas of the house. There are also cable modems for the comcast folks and these are also products that I know to avoid.

I had bought a 2 wire brand replacement DSL modem through Ebay and I thought that I had the perfect solution but it did not come with the requisite CD that would have connected my computer with the modem. The only software that I had that would have connected with the modem was Power Pc apple software which apple has completely blinded in its latest system upgrades of which my computer has updated. So off to Best Buy.

I navigated their shelves and came across and ATTnT 802.11N Wireless Router with DSL modem (written in smaller print).  It is a Pace product.

When plugging it in I plugged in all the connections and headed the warning that the modem ran on a specific power supply and followed the caution not to plug in my old power block to run the new modem. It also recommended that I write down the wireless wifi password, a huge number that when called for activates the wifi connection so that the ethernet connection is not needed to connect the computer with the built in router. 

Once I plugged in the power... the other connections (the ethernet (yellow cord) the connection to the phone line and the line to my airport extreme. My brower came up and the attnt account was requested.. my email for it and my account password allowed the DSL connection to be made and the software was configured over the web. Pretty amazing stuff.  Throughout this whole process I did not have to get an appointment, or talk to a customer support techie.  I am back on the web and the wifi connections for my home are improving the connection speed for the Iphones and the Ipad and even the kindle.  High fives all around.

Super Bowl

The old adage is that defense wins games. Seattle has a marvelous defense. Denver not so much. Many people were cheering for the story. The Peyton Manning, comeback kid had landed in Denver and was to be the Elway heir apparent. The neck surgeries made Peyton a disposable commodity in Indianapolis. He was ripe for the offense laden Broncos in Denver. But there is a reason for old adages. They are mostly true. The Seattle defense with the turnovers completely blew out the hero story that Denver wanted to write. So sorry Bronco fans. Hurray for the competitive Western NFC conference.