• BloodyLivid (unregistered) in reply to Jamie

    Or the power supply...?

  • Dude (unregistered) in reply to Jamie
    Jamie:
    Matt S:
    Wait, why would she need to connect any wires to the wireLESS router??
    The wireless router needs to be connected to a phone/cable line maybe.

    -> Joke -> o -|- <- you / \

  • Me (unregistered)

    Had an almost identical experience myself. I was working for a major ISP, and this lady called our support centre and claimed her Internet connection didn't work anymore. After some troubleshooting, it turned out that she never picked up the Wireless ADSL router we had shipped her from the post office, and the postal service had returned it to us. Apparently, she had just leeched on a neighbor all the time, believing it was supposed to be this way, because she had ordered the "wireless package".

  • Browsem (unregistered)

    Ill take polite & consfused over angry and "think i know better" any day. Actually i think my mother or my girlfriend could have done just the same

  • me (unregistered) in reply to me
    me:
    It's not wireless if you attach a "LINE" which if you were any sort of IT professional you would know is another word for "WIRE".

    //Sarcasm!

    I can't believe how many people thought I was serious?!

  • SteveB (unregistered)

    My uncle called me because he was having problems sending emails, and his ISP's tech support had drawn a blank.

    Having gone through the usual troubleshooting, I got him to do a tracert to the SMTP server and found it was getting stuck at a box belonging to another ISP.

    Turned out that he was connecting to his neighbour's router and his own ISP's SMTP server would only accept mail from their own subnets.

  • gr (unregistered) in reply to Muuttaa

    I also did Applecare a few years ago and that makes complete sense to me for someone to say on a phone call.

  • V (unregistered) in reply to Code Dependent
    Code Dependent:
    DropDeadThread:
    What I learned in this thread:
    1. Wireless devices do, in fact, have wires.
    2. Pedantic hairsplitting quibblers make me want to kill all living things.
    What you contributed in this thread: <snip>lame attempt at being funny</snip>
    No, his contribution was proving that there are some sane people left here. Thanks for the info though, Sherlock.
    Code Dependent:
    "There is no wire between the computers and the router, which is why they call it "wireless". "
  • Real Old Fart (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    Anon:
    Real Old Fart:
    David:
    Um, a wireless router needs a minimum of two things plugged in to ensure proper function.
    1. Power. This should be a BIG clue.
    2. Cable/DSL Line.
    Um, no it doesn't. You need a technology refresher. My cell phone functions as an aircard (AT&T 8525). Cradlepoint manufacturers battery powered WiFi routers. Add a USB cable to connect the two and 'Presto - a real wireless network'.

    lolwut

    OK, if you want to split hairs (or hares), then use a miniUSB (phone) to regular USB adapter (router) and forgo the wire.

    CAPTCHA illum - something needed here

  • ? (unregistered)

    I sometimes deal with people like that.

    And people wonder why IT guys are the ones most likely to go on a rampage in the workplace...

  • Rhialto (unregistered) in reply to shepd
    shepd:
    (Caller ID displays Clearwater, FL.)
    Clearwater? Must have been a high-ranking $cientologist. They have issues, yes.
  • RF (unregistered) in reply to Jamie
    Jamie:
    Matt S:
    Wait, why would she need to connect any wires to the wireLESS router??

    The wireless router needs to be connected to a phone/cable line maybe.

    Someone needs to remove Matt S from his shrink wrap too.

  • RF (unregistered) in reply to Dude
    Dude:
    Jamie:
    Matt S:
    Wait, why would she need to connect any wires to the wireLESS router??
    The wireless router needs to be connected to a phone/cable line maybe.

    -> Joke -> o -|- <- you / \

    AND Jamie. H'e also within the shrink wrap. phew, dodged.

  • Monzo (unregistered)

    Hello, good story.

    First you mention 2 months and later on 2 years. Which one is it?

  • whoa (unregistered) in reply to Jamie
    Jamie:
    Matt S:
    Wait, why would she need to connect any wires to the wireLESS router??

    The wireless router needs to be connected to a phone/cable line maybe.

    yeah, I heard that some extra electrons, also called "power" are nice to have as well

  • 4VAlien (unregistered) in reply to Jamie
    Jamie:
    Matt S:
    Wait, why would she need to connect any wires to the wireLESS router??

    The wireless router needs to be connected to a phone/cable line maybe.

    No dummy, its a wireless router so of course you dont need cables!

  • (cs) in reply to Vollhorst
    Vollhorst:
    I wouldn't have done the whole thing if they were neightbours I knew. They were just some random people living there which I never met personally.
    Yeah, depersonalizing them is important in dulling the conscience. I believe the same logic was used by German citizens during WWII to explain their tolerance of genocide.
  • (cs) in reply to V
    V:
    DropDeadThread:
    ...make me want to kill all living things.
    ...proving that there are some sane people left here.
    We're probably using different definitions of "sane".
  • deralaand (unregistered)

    Unfortunately (or maybe not) 9 out of 10 people have this level of tech skill.

    My aunt lives in a 4-plex where they have purposely shared a wireless connection to save money. The guy that has set this all up also put the free Norton virus scanner (found in Google Pack) on my aunts computer. He, of course never bothered to see if she was currently using any type of other virus scanner. (dumbass!)

    Norton and AVG conflict in a bad way and she would call on me to fix her computer issues. I told her to tell the guy that she allready has an anti-virus program and that when he installs the Norton it screws things up.

    ...and yes, I have gone through her computer to see if he has happened to accidentally installed any type of secret key logger or drive access programs. Not that it would matter though. The only thing she uses the computer for is playing on Pogo...

  • ? (unregistered) in reply to Rhialto

    lol.

    Scientologists suxx0rz

  • (cs)

    We had (still have i think) an unsecured wireless network near us, it was on a channel that overlapped with mine, so i connected to it and moved it. I had a few months where all the networks in the area were down one end of the channel range, and I was all alone at the other end. :) Things have evened out again now as new default settings have turned up but I have moved the router nearer the PC so it doesn't matter.

  • Jiom McDosh (unregistered)

    LOL, who cares what them Chinese people think.

    JT www.FireMe.To/udi

  • (cs) in reply to Maurits
    Maurits:
    Mike H.:
    someone put the ethernet cable in the phone jack.

    !!

    How do you fit a six-pin cable in a four-pin jack?

    Sheer determination and persistence, coupled with brute force.

    And you'd be surprised how often you see it.

  • Mr (unregistered) in reply to DeLos
    DeLos:
    I personally cant wait until they bring out wireless power - then all I will need is wireless gas and I will be set.
    You don't need gas when you have electicity. Both heating and cooking can be done with electricity you know...
  • Vollhorst (unregistered) in reply to Code Dependent
    Code Dependent:
    Vollhorst:
    I wouldn't have done the whole thing if they were neightbours I knew. They were just some random people living there which I never met personally.
    Yeah, depersonalizing them is important in dulling the conscience. I believe the same logic was used by German citizens during WWII to explain their tolerance of genocide.
    I hope for your sanity that that was meant as a bad joke.
  • (cs) in reply to jtl
    jtl:
    There is no line between the router and the CPU. This is different from regular routers. This is why it's called wireless.

    There never is a line "between the router and the CPU" unless you've managed to connect your router to your Core 2 Duo or Pentium D processor. You might, however, have a line between the router and the network connection on your motherboard.

    Do us all a favor and stay away from computers, please, until you learn the difference between a network card and a CPU.

  • (cs) in reply to Real Old Fart
    Real Old Fart:
    Um, no it doesn't. You need a technology refresher. My cell phone functions as an aircard (AT&T 8525). Cradlepoint manufacturers battery powered WiFi routers. Add a USB cable to connect the two and 'Presto - a real wireless network'.

    Um, no it doesn't. You need a technology refresher.

    The minute you "Add a USB cable to connect the two" you've added a wired connection, idiot, and therefore it still isn't a real wireless network.

    Work on your language comprehension skills. A child could read what you wrote and see the flaw in logic.

  • (cs) in reply to Vollhorst
    Vollhorst:
    I was able to connect to a neighbour's network and none of his computers was protected. So I leached some new movies from him and looked at his family photos. Oh, his fat daughter (real ugly monster) had quite a diary. And the mails she had send (and received from) to a strange guy in Switzerland was quite disturbing. But quite funny when you compared her photos with her description of herself she has sent to him. And all the cybersex... via mail?! Strange folk.

    But they protected their wireless some hours after I used their printer to print some nice pages like "Woooohoooo, I am the ghost in the machine! You will die today!". The usual stuff. ;)

    Congrats, you are TRWTF.

  • Crabs (unregistered) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    Maurits:
    Mike H.:
    someone put the ethernet cable in the phone jack.

    !!

    How do you fit a six-pin cable in a four-pin jack?

    Sheer determination and persistence, coupled with brute force.

    And you'd be surprised how often you see it.

    Where do you find a 6 pin ethernet jack!?!?

  • Real Old Fart (unregistered) in reply to KenW
    KenW:
    Real Old Fart:
    Um, no it doesn't. You need a technology refresher. My cell phone functions as an aircard (AT&T 8525). Cradlepoint manufacturers battery powered WiFi routers. Add a USB cable to connect the two and 'Presto - a real wireless network'.

    Um, no it doesn't. You need a technology refresher.

    The minute you "Add a USB cable to connect the two" you've added a wired connection, idiot, and therefore it still isn't a real wireless network.

    Work on your language comprehension skills. A child could read what you wrote and see the flaw in logic.

    Not only are you dense, you're also a slow reader with questionable language skills. Someone else already pointed that issue out (above) and I noted that you could replace the USB cable with a USB conversion connector between the two components.

    And no, there's no wires in the phone or the router - they're called leads or traces.

  • alex (unregistered) in reply to Jamie

    umm its a ROUTER not a modem, its not magic.

  • bmez (unregistered) in reply to Jamie

    or even better... how about some power?

  • Nate (unregistered) in reply to Jamie

    I'm pretty sure that was a joke, genius.

  • dudeman (unregistered)

    Is the article its self. The guy identifies she is obviously not a power user and then assumes she knows what a router is? I only see one idiot here.

  • (cs)

    Apparently only two of us readers were confused by the two months/two years difference. She changed ISPs two months ago, yet she had been leeching off a neighbor for two years? Slightly confusing.

  • Chris V (unregistered) in reply to Jamie
    Matt S:
    Wait, why would she need to connect any wires to the wireLESS router??

    Not exactly a "power user" are you? ;-)

  • Chris V (unregistered) in reply to DWalker59
    DWalker59:
    Apparently only two of us readers were confused by the two months/two years difference. She changed ISPs two months ago, yet she had been leeching off a neighbor for two years? Slightly confusing.

    She changed ISPs maybe to get a lower price? The assumed that her setup had remained the same and continued using her neighbors wifi. The neighbor probably suddenly decided to put a password on their connection. Hence her call in to tech support.

  • Kuba (unregistered) in reply to Phr34ker
    Phr34ker:
    First of all, cudos to the support-guy that managed to find out this quite complex problem dispite the customer beeing less tech-savvy than a bowl of gravy.

    Worked in ADSL-support for a couple of years while studying, and got quite a few weird calls.

    [...] There was the woman, that after having helped her with some registry-hacking, started sending me flowers and loveletters...

    Wow. You're lucky. That's like winning a $100M jackpot twice in a week. Kudos on being good to the customers!
  • Rich (unregistered) in reply to Jamie
    Jamie:
    Matt S:
    Wait, why would she need to connect any wires to the wireLESS router??
    The wireless router needs to be connected to a phone/cable line maybe.
    Whoosh!
  • anotherITguy (unregistered) in reply to webrunner
    webrunner:
    WhiskeyJack:
    Mitch:
    That's not an entirely idiot assumption to make. People are told it's wireless, so they assume they don't have to plug in any wires. Maybe a power cable to turn it on, but nothing else.

    But you'd think some common sense might apply. For example, I don't think most people would have a problem with the concept of a cordless phone having to be plugged into the phone line. Yeah, the handset is cordless to the base station, but the base station still has to be connected to the phone line somehow.

    Same thing, except you say "computer" instead of "phone", and suddenly people get all confused.

    I've noticed this a lot: If you take something everyone's familiar with, then put it on a computer using exactly the same method they'd use outside of the computer, they suddenly get confused. The same person who knows how to turn on his TV will suddenly be confused when he sees a power button on his laptop, for instance.

    This happened to my wife (who is an above average user). First time watching a DVD on our HTPC and I hand her the media center remote. She couldn't figure out how to pause it, handed it to our 3-year old to give to me and he paused it for her. Pretty much a standard remote, but it's "on the computer"

  • (cs) in reply to Maurits
    Maurits:
    Mike H.:
    someone put the ethernet cable in the phone jack.

    !!

    How do you fit a six-pin cable in a four-pin jack?

    <-- Mike H. ---- They were CAT5 and CAT5E jacks

  • notJoeKing (unregistered) in reply to Dude
    Dude:
    Ahhhh. So merimeds me simular storry.

    A Customer called Tech Support. He said that his comp doesnt turn on. Supporter ask if all wires connected properly.

    He said: "Wait, till i get FlashLight" Supporter: "Huh, why FlashLight?" He: "Electricty is out" Supporter: "Pack Your computer and return to the shop, you are too stupid to use it"

    Costumer did that, but also he complaind to supporter boss. Next day Supporter lost his job

    Meri-meds? Is that what you took before posting this?

  • (cs) in reply to Jamie

    Well, then it's not really wireless, is it?

  • Edc (unregistered)

    As a former ISP tech support rep, I can tell you this is common enough that I have spoken with several customers doing the exact same thing. It is so common I wouldn't even consider it noteworthy.

  • coolio (unregistered)

    hahaha what an idiot!#!@# I bet she voted for Bush!!! I always wondered who those people were...

  • Maimon Mons (unregistered) in reply to Jamie

    I was troubleshooting my brother's home network the other day. I could connect to the wireless router but not getting anything off the internet.

    So I powered down (via the power strip that everything was connected to) and power up again.

    No dice.

    Then I decided to disconnect the router and reset it.

    It was then I noticed the router was still working after I removed the power cord. The freakin' thing had some sort of battery backup.

    A quick hard reset and everything worked fine.

  • Mike (unregistered) in reply to Jamie

    Because routers don't just pluck internet from the air....

    I think this is a failure on the side of the ISP to ensure their customer had correctly installed the equipment and they should be fined for the 2 years of service that she had paid for and hadn't used. Just because a customer is a Ludite doesn't give anyone the right to take advantage of them.

  • crazyfinx (unregistered) in reply to Jamie

    but its wireLESS?!

  • Tourist (unregistered) in reply to Saaid
    Saaid:
    Ivan Milosavljevic:
    SSID was Norris? OMG, her neighbour must have been Chuck Norris!
    I pity the fool that would leach off Chuck's FEWER wires DSL connection

    leach? geez get a dictionary dude!

  • Tourist (unregistered) in reply to Mike H.
    Mike H.:
    Uneducated people and stupid contractors that's who...

    I served as a resident IT technician for an apartment complex I was living in during my college days. When the complex was built they forgot to put in wiring for ethernet connections. So all we had were 2-3 closets per building with one huge switch for 30+ residents. In each of the resident's rooms there was one panel with 2 jacks (Ethernet CAT5 jack and a phone jack) and in the main room there was only a jack for a phone line.

    At least 90% of the time when someone called saying "My Internet doesn't work" was because someone put the ethernet cable in the phone jack. I'd ask them if they had tried the other jack and they usually said they did and it didn't work. When I actually had to go up to their room, I saw that the cable was still in the phone jack. Low and behold... when I plugged the ethernet cable in the right jack their connection magically worked.

    WHODATHUNK!

    I always wondered why did have the same connection type for phones and for ethernet. Wouldn't it have been smarter to design one of them differently? A WTF for sure.

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