Rant about technology

[westend]

I need to share this and I've picked this Forum for sharing this. Sorry if it isn't exactly RV related but it touches on some of the things we do with our RV's.

This morning, I installed a new modem and router at the house for Internet service. I'm now wise enough to break out the instructions and follow the set up steps to better complete the process. The modem also has a wireless and wired connections for access.

Everything actually went fairly well, I only needed to move a few boxes of ancient electronics and wiring that was stacked in front of our "computer center". Modem configuration over a wireless connection and the Motorola browser interface was again, fairly painless.

Why it didn't work was a mystery but I was confused if I had entered the correct PPP.e info into the correct place. Again, wisdom and research had showed me that manually entering this user name and password was essential. I obtained it by a call to Century Link's CS phone number and a few transfers to the tech dept turned up the info.

I called Century Link and verified that the DSL connection was live to my location. In the conversation, I was offered the PPP.e user name and password info again. I already had what was given to me written down but told the CS rep to give it to me again. This password is a combination of letters and numbers in both upper and lower case. It turns out, I had one letter wrong from my first conversation. Changing the password in the modems PPP.e settings enabled the modem to reach the Century Link servers. Success, back onto the web and able to do all that I do while on there.

Here comes the rant part: I'm growing really tired about all the devices and electronics I need, both in the house and while on the road. There are just too **** many intricacies and security issues with operating all these gizmos.

One of my hobbies is making and fixing electronics, mainly stereo stuff and mainly, the older stuff. This Internet and electronic complexity is dampening that hobby. Maybe I need to get back on the bench with a soldering iron in hand.:? That is, if I don't need to spend time on configuring my new phone or downloading apps, and making sure that it's all synced. Yes, some of it makes life easier but some of it is beginning to be a burden. I think I'll spin a record. 😉

That's it--too **** much complexity with gizmos and I need to remove a few boxes of old stuff we'll never use. The good news is that I'll be outside with roof rake in hand removing a foot of snow from my trailer. We are expecting some mixed rain and sloppy snow in the next few days. 6" of that on top of what's already up there will start bending the roof. Come on Spring, I want to get traveling and working on the old Starcraft!

[wa8yxm]

Though I do understand your ... issue.

I've been doing this so long I routinely configure Routers. Set up computers. Design some of my own non-comptuer networks. Design antennas Hook up radios.

My Complaint is Touch Screen Technology in cars.. With good old fashion knobs and buttons I can basically do things without looking.. but with Touch Screens I have to look to verify I'm in the right menu mode.. And while I do that. Bad things can happen.

Though I did "use" my phone while driving today.> Before putting the car in REVERSE to back out of the parking spot I hooked it to the car audio system. Opened the browser.. Pointed to WTWW.US Then Listen Then Transmitter 2 HTML5 and I enjoied the Greatest hits of all time as I drove.

No need to look at the phone again till I got to where the care is now parked.

[Old-Biscuit]

High tech in our house is this OLD Laptop and a old modem

TV.....via roof top antenna and have to use remote to operate it
Cell Phones......2 & both are flip phones but do have camera
(I can't verify cause I have never used mine....heck I have to find mine and then battery is dead)

No other techno gear. Not a 'luddite' per se
Just have NO need for any of that stuff...nor do I want to pay for it.
Cost/benefit is NOT there

[blownstang01]

Yep, it's exhausting, particularly if you really don't care how it works...just that it Needs to work. When I was younger and less burdened, I thrived over technology and the want to know how everything works. Now I'm too **** busy and uninterested. Heck, I don't even know how to set the dual alarm clock in our bedroom, I have my wife do it. 🙂
Our internet and house phone (through internet) have been a pain since day one. They advertise the minimum speeds they provide as a "guarantee'...pfft. I complained for over 3 years on my slow speeds, they kept having me bring in my modem and router and upgrade me to the latest and greatest they offer. Thing is, every time i changed it out I would lose the phone. Turns out the guy at the counter handing me the new equipment never checks the box that we have phone, I mean this happens EVERY TIME, even though I tell them to make sure they click all the boxes that we have phone, and I have to call the tech line to straighten it out which takes 45 minutes of being on hold for a 2 second fix on their end. So after 3 years of slow and less than advertised speeds I finally had enough last December and demanded they come to my house and run new wiring or whatever had to be done to fix it or I was dumping them. Low and behold the guy climbed up and checked out the lines and removed something and stuffed it in his pouch. We went in the house and checked again and Boom, I had the 100mps downloads advertised. I looked at the guy and said, You just removed a choke from the feed line didn't you ... he slowly grinned and admitted it. I've spent the 3 months since trying to get a refund of some sort for the last 3 years of nonsense.
Sorry for the rant, but yeah OP, I feel your pain.

[ppine]

One of the great things for me about taking an RV on the road is to escape electronics. I don't watch tv, or movies. I have a flip phone and mostly use it just to call home. I don't use electronics on the road and it makes life simple like it is supposed to be.

[theoldwizard1]

I switched Internet providers last year after I dropped cable TV from the primary provider in my area.

First I though the installer would want to drill hole and pull new wire. I told him, "If you connect to this (outdoor) splitter, it does direct to my modem." "Sounds good !" He replaced the splitter with a grounding block.

Second, I thought I would be on the phone with tech support for hours getting things running, especially since MY modem is over 10 years old. SURPRISE #2 ! The installer asked for the MAC address, typed it into his laptop, I rebooted the modem and everything was perfect ! I have not had any further interaction with the company in 9 months.

[westend]

wanderingaimlessly wrote:
The continuously increasing demands by little geek types hiding in some lab, that believe the average person needs a 12 digit password, using both uppercase and lowercase letters, at least one number, and one special symbol, that doesn't include any part of the user name, or any three letter or longer words found in a dictionary for accessing a home wifi is a little ridiculous. But they move a little further that way every day.
And some sites I use now require changing those passwords every 60 days, what joy.

One of my pet peeves, also. I really don't want to remember my Iphone password to access the Istore every time I need to get an app. The passwords seem to get more complex and maybe that's to reduce infiltration across the encryption algorithm but it's a pain.

[westend]

Ductape wrote:
Well.... I used to have to run a fistfull of cables between components to set up home audio and video. Now it's all on one HDMI cable.

Win some, lose some. 😉

You underestimate the breadth of a true audio junky's cabling requirements. I used to have a rack for my main audio setup but sold it when I moved the system into the living room (treaty with wife). I am in process of building a shelf for the audio components that compliments our house design. That won't get me away from cabling, though. I actually make some of it so I have quality and lower cost. Let me see if I can find a picture of the back of the old rack.

Here:

[wanderingaimles]

The continuously increasing demands by little geek types hiding in some lab, that believe the average person needs a 12 digit password, using both uppercase and lowercase letters, at least one number, and one special symbol, that doesn't include any part of the user name, or any three letter or longer words found in a dictionary for accessing a home wifi is a little ridiculous. But they move a little further that way every day.
And some sites I use now require changing those passwords every 60 days, what joy.

[Fizz]

If it's any consolation, everything at your end sounds normal to me.
Been there done that.
All this great technology hung up on a spelling mistake.
It's the little things that tend to kludge up the works.

[Ductape]

Well.... I used to have to run a fistfull of cables between components to set up home audio and video. Now it's all on one HDMI cable.

Win some, lose some. 😉