Wireless means tireless the first time, free thereafter.

I was at Low Yat yesterday shopping around for my Wireless modem/router. I finally bought it after 2 days of self debating. As usual the devil won. The model I bought was the cheapest around, which is Aztech. I got it for Rm250. It’s a 54mbps/8.112G and its backward compatible with the 8.112b. It’s slightly bulky and less pleasant to the eyes. It does not have the apple colour like linksys or some other brand model. Anyway all I want is a cheap, reliable and hopefully easy to install.

I spend some time in the office reading the manual, trying to anticipate potential hiccups and headache. I actually narrow it down to 3 parameters which could potentially nail me at the butt, the VCI, VPI and the protocol. So when I start to install the drivers and software, everything was a breeze until I reached the part whereby I was asked to enter the 3 parameters. I choose the default, hoping to strike oil the first time. I click “Finish” and I wait, hoping I will get connected.

Ting! A sound came out from the small little speaker of my ThinkPad. Yulks! The famous window messages, “Bla Bla Bla, you need to wait for Bla Bla Bla”. With my usual stubborn self, I ignore the message and I start to click onto the “e”. The explorer opens. I continue to enter my blogspot address. Well my little space in the web did not open as usual, instead the usual window “Bla Bla Bla” box opens. This time the famous red “X” rear it’s ugly “X” butt. Back to the 3 inch by 3 inch “friendly” manual.

I did not make any mistakes, except, the 3 parameters which could be any values. Hence I went in again, try a different combination. Ting! And “Bla Bla Bla” again, I went in and try again. Ting! again, I try continuously for numerous times until I could hear my sister giggling in the background and say “Can work or not”. I blurted helplessly “Try lor” from my mouth but my brain says “I am a software guy, I am not hardware guy”. Ting! This time is not from my ThinkPad, its from my brain to my hand, “Go and dial TmNet Technical support”. I dial and managed to get through. I get the information that I needed and within few minutes I managed to get connected but it’s still not wirelessly. Now the router seems to have the internet lights lighted up which is a good sign.

I try to set up my ThinkPad to connect wirelessly. 10 minutes went pass, 20, 30, 40 and an hour. I am still clicking the “stupid” access connection which is the proprietary connection software of IBM or shall I say Lenovo. Nothing happens. My enthusiasm starts to run down the slope, turning a few gears down. “WireLess” my foot, my back and my behind. Ting! My brain says “Go and try and set up your sister notebook”. Within 10 minutes my sister notebook is already connected, wirelessly. I guess 3com adapter is much easier to setup than Centrino or my Centrino is not actually working.

I am still trying now, praying very hard and hoping that I do not need to send my ThinkPad for diagnosis in Tmn Tun. I hope I will be free of wire soon… like a baby having the umbilical cord cut.