This is where it gets interesting...

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Working the other night and a rather nervous and computer-illiterate lady calls up because her nephew wants her to switch her connection from the ethernet to the USB cable "because it's faster". Now apart from the straightforward fact that if the connection was able to work at full speed it would be the ethernet that went faster, according to our system she was connected by the ethernet and it was going like a dream.

Except that her Internet Browser was showing "Page Cannot be found". No worries - we get a lot of those and it's usally a firewall setting. So I ask her to hop into the Network Connections and see what's happening.

No connection.

Weird. Check the system from my end and it's still showing the ethernet connection chugging along like crazy, lots of lovely data streaming along it.

I ask her to look at the modem, (a Motorola 5100 with both ethernet and USB connection capability, but only one at a time). Check the cable that's coming from the top of it - does it have ends like a phone cord, except a little bit wider? Yes. So of the three cords coming out...

"There's four."

"I beg your pardon?"

"There's four cables coming out. One to the power point, one into the wall that your people put in that looks like an aerial, and two others."

"Oh really??? So, could you please trace that top cable and tell me where it goes?"

"... into a hole on the floor."

So lovely nephew has been sucking her data away, and wanted us to try and get her computer connected by the USB so he could continue with the closest thing I've seen to a vampire tap since thickwire became obsolete. Alas for him, but only one connection at a time is possible to the modem. Alas for us, because the lady had visitors right then and had to go.

I wish I knew what had happened next.

Comments

[torkell]

I once came across a tale of someone who wanted ADSL, but he was just to far from the exchange. His parents lived in the house backing on to his, and they were close enough (which is perfectly reasonable - just because you live within x miles of the exchange doesn't mean that your phone line is x miles long - it's usually longer). So, being the entrepuening (sp?) guy he was, he convinced his parents to get broadband, and then ran an ethernet link out of their house, under the fence, and into his house. Hey presto! How to beat BT's distance restriciton for the cost of a length of Cat5 (note: willing parents not included in deal).

[invader-kitty.livejournal.com]

Bwhahaha! That's awesome!!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_finbar_/]

so make a note of the username and check it tomorrow, or the next day:)

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

Wish I had. I was so busy that night (we've been averaging 40 high queues every bloody night seeing as so many people have moved on) that I didn't think of it until it was gone...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_finbar_/]

yikes! glad I moved on when I did, that sort of queue cuts down on talking time, let alone web surfing and TV watching time!

Bwahahaha!

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

...and to think a cheapo router would have solved that problem nicely.

You wouldn't believe how many people I've run into who have their cable modem plugged into the router, a couple of machines wired/wireless, and the original computer still connected to the cable modem via USB.

And they wonder why nothing works. 9 times out of 10, the wayward machine doesn't have a NIC to use either.

[teriwyn.livejournal.com]

Actually... if you are an ISP that sells the ever-elusive "Additonal IP address", the Motorola modems WILL allow both USB and Ethernet online at the same time.

If the maximum number of CPEs is set to 2 in the config file, both devices will be able to pull an IP address.

http://www.motorola.com/mdirect/manuals/SB5100_User_Manual_E.pdf

See page 40 (which is page 46 in the PDF). -- "Cabling for multiple users." Not saying you won't believe me, but being able to back up my claim with manufacturer documentation is nice. =)

[teriwyn.livejournal.com]

Granted, it would be smart to just buy a router and be done with it... additional IP fees add up.

[jahbulon.livejournal.com]

What an evil little prick.