HELP DESK
Q: Recently I have had problems with my Belkin Router. I called the company and was informed the company had been sold to a Japanese firm and gave me an 800 number to contact. This turned out to be a company that will service the customers who purchased Belkin products. After talking to them for a while and I was assured they could help me, they told me there would be a fee for this service.
The fee turned out to be more than the price of a new router so I then purchased a new one, a Netgear N300 which was recommended to me. The Netgear worked for awhile and then started to drop the connection to the Internet just like the Belkin. I have since talked to AT&T and checked with CNET for Modems and Routers because I now suspect that the modem may be going bad. But I am not sure.
However, it is several years old and maybe a new one will be better. My question to you is which is the best product to buy based upon your expertise and experience? CNET recommends Motorola with a variety of models; AT&T recommends their combination Modem and Router for $100.
Jim Wise
A: Hi Jim, I think you should find out if the modem you use is the culprit before you buy another router. There’s a decent chance that your routers have been working correctly and the modem is the problem. Try direct connecting the modem to a single computer – leaving the router out of the loop – and use it that way for a week or so. If the problem continues, then it’s likely that the problem isn’t with the router. As far as your question about which router to buy, I’d put more weight on what Cnet says than my advice. I don’t have the facilities for side-by-side testing of all of the products out there. For what it’s worth I’ve used the combination AT&T modem and router with no problems. I also have found that Motorola makes good products.
Email Bill Husted at bhusted@bellsouth.net
If a computer was an appliance like a toaster, all you’d need to know is the location of the on/off button.
But a computer isn’t an appliance. That’s why you’ll find columns about using a computer along with Web page after Web page offering advice, help and suggestions. Toasters and microwave ovens? Not so much.
A computer is a complicated amalgam of software and electronics. It’s part electronics, part physics with a dash of magic thrown in.
To be really successful using a computer – to avoid most hassles, to have the least amount of down time, you have to spend time learning about how to use it. And that’s my recommendation. If you follow that path you’ll soon be able to fix minor problems and – more important – you’ll know enough to realize when some glitch is beyond your skill level. Almost anyone, including those who believe it’s all too complicated, can learn enough to get by.
However, there is a second route to take. You can decide – without shame – that you don’t want to spend the time and effort to learn about computers. It isn’t a crazy notion. After all, most of you don’t spend your weekends performing a brake job on your car. You may have better uses for your time.
If that’s the case, this column is for you – for those who want to be an appliance operator when it comes to using a computer. After all, even though you don’t want to learn about computer, you still need to use one. Much of our daily lives – work, school, recreation involve computing. Most of us can’t avoid having and using a computer.
If you truly want to be an appliance operator I can help.
Today, we’ll outline the rules of how to go about it. There are still some tasks you must perform and some compromises you will need to make. But there’s nothing complicated here. Following my suggestions is easy but restrictive. If you faithfully follow all my rules, you shouldn’t have any more computer problems than someone who has taken the other road and decided to learn about computing.
Protect your computer
Buy software that will protect your computer. Forget about the free programs I frequently mention in this column. Those are for the people who aren’t appliance operators. Instead buy a commercial program such as Norton’s 360. It will watch out for viruses, spyware and the like. Install it and – after a year – pay the subscription fee to keep it up-to-date. Your compromise here is spending a bit of money instead of relying on one of the free programs I recommend for this same task.
Restrict what you do
Never, ever, open an email attachment. Do not download any program – free or commercial. Do not play free online games. All these things have the potential to create problems.
No free software for you
Restrict yourself to commercial programs for your word processing and other tasks you perform.
When trouble strikes open your wallet
Do not attempt to fix any problem, even if the solution seems simple, even if your best buddy claims he knows how to fix it. You are an appliance operator. Wear the label proudly. Just as you would not consider rewiring your toaster, you should not even think of working on your computer, or unscrambling software. Instead, take the machine to a computer technician and have the work done for you. Fixing – even for those who know about computers – is the leading cause of computer problems. And for an appliance operator the chances of disaster are much greater.
Truth? Being an appliance operator isn’t a crazy route for some computer users. It’s just a case – as you ordinarily do with some other chores – of trading a bit of money for a lot of security.
About the Author
