Technology is evil

For the most part technology around here runs just fine.  It's there, we use it, we benefit by it, and all is well except, of course, when it isn't.  Then technology is evil, very, very evil.  Today was one of those evil days.

It started with an inability to access the printer.  A bit of investigation showed that the printer definitely worked at least in so far as it printed just fine.  Unfortunately, it couldn't be seen on the network and thus couldn't be used.  In the process of diagnosing that issue internet connectivity dropped.  A good deal of investigation and over an hour on the phone with Comcast (don't you just love dealing with technical support with English as a second or perhaps third language talking to you over a net connection with clipping and dropouts) revealed that the cable modem had died.  Off to Staples to get new modem.

New modem seems like it shouldn't be much of a chore.  It's one of the new autoconfiguration modems.  Things start well then go really really sour.  Trouble starts when Comcast wants my account number.  Unfortunately, directions for entry are not clear (shouldn't enter spaces) and site doesn't provide way to reenter account number.  Not to worry, it downloads some software and proceeds to muck about with internet settings before deciding that I need to log into my Comcast account.  Sadly, Comcast and I don't agree on my user name or password.

Now things get worse.  Call Comcast customer support.  First call is dropped by Comcast for reason's unknown.  Second call is eventually answered but sadly tech can not hear me.  Third call is dropped by my cell phone with a dead battery.  Fetch charger and call again.  Get nice lady who's English is marginally better than original call.  She says I should have called to register the mac address.  Seems uninterested that their site doesn't tell me to do so, but what the hey, I'm only the customer.  Registers the mac address.  When I suggest that she file a problem report with respect to the Comcast auto configuration screen she seems both uninterested and somewhat offended.  Unfortunately, by now the evil Comcast configuration software had configured proxies for my connections.  Not to worry, just follow the directions in your browser to put it right.  Sadly there are directions for IE 6 and 7 but not the current version 8.  Likewise older versions of Firefox.  Not even a hint for Google Chrome.  Wade through that and finally reestablish internet connectivity.

Good news new cable modem is noticeably faster than old one.

Bad news, printer still off line.

Further printer investigation reveals a bad hub.  Can't really complain as it's about 15 years old and was salvaged from an old network.  So tomorrow it's back to Staples for a hub/switch.

Don't you just love technology on evil days.