So, our Belkin wireless router just died. It still operates as a switch for wired machines on the LAN, but won't connect to the Internet, won't let me get to the web-based control interface and won't put out a wireless signal. Also, for some reason the power light doesn't work, even though the LAN connectivity lights do.
I called Belkin tech support, fully aware that they would neither understand nor care that I had already tested everything. Eventually, the guy asks me to go into the network settings for my computer.
BELKIN GUY: What address has been assigned by DHCP? [DHCP, or Dynamic Host Control Protocol, is the program through which servers assign addresses to computers on a network automatically.]
ME: I'm using static IP's. [Static IP's are manually assigned addresses that supercede DHCP.]
BG: (Pause) Why are you doing that? [Seriously, he was dumbfounded, like I'd told him my server was still running on punchcards.]
ME: I find it to be more reliable than DHCP. [It's true -- DHCP doesn't work well with Appletalk in my experience, and it's easier to get the computers on the network to interact using static IP's.]
BG: Well, what address is assigned?
ME: 192.168.2.203. [That's an internal-only address, so don't even bother.]
BG: Hm. Well, I was going to have you assign a static IP anyway, so let's try switching to DHCP.
So, he was going to switch over to static, then was so shocked that I was already using static that he had to demand an explanation. What? Yeah. The upshot is, the router's totally screwed and they're sending a new one in "5-7 business days."
Posted by Aaron S. Veenstra ::: 2004:09:11:14:34