Saturday 29 April 2017

The NBN (National Broadband Network)

man turned up yesterday. That was a surprise. 
Oh yes they said he would be here but I really didn't expect it as they had not, as requested, confirmed it or told us what time. He just arrived. 
Of course I wasn't around was I? At least it was only a quick trip to the post office - or it should have been. Some idiot left an A-frame advertising the local gym just where nobody could get past. I had to get off the tricycle, find pen and paper and scrawl a note which said in no uncertain terms that disabled access, gophers, pushers etc. were being blocked. Someone helped me shift the thing out of the way and we both went off growling. I suspect it will be back in the same position today - and if it is I will make the effort to access the gym and tell them again in less polite terms.
So, I was later home than I expected. The Senior Cat told me Mr NBN had been and would be back, I wasn't holding my breath.
But he did come back and obligingly undid two screws on a lock for the Senior Cat before doing the job. He even plugged the new modem in for me - something he isn't strictly supposed to do although it took him less than a minute. And then off he went.
I sat there and read the instructions on how to restart the computer by putting the new wifi thingy in placde.  I pressed buttons and typed things in. 
Nothing happened. 
I went through it all again and again. Nothing happened. GRRRRRRRRR
I couldn't get the Senior Cat's i-pad to work either - but he had somehow locked himself out of that.
I gave up and went to see a neighbour who is taking up my pyjama legs so that I won't trip over. "Come and use our system with your lap top and I'll send B.... over when he comes to pick up the girls."
There was a grateful purr from me.
I had already rung Computer-S who knows more about computers than most people but he couldn't get there until late and said he wasn't sure he knew as the NBN was new to him too,
But B turned up and said, "Ah hah! You need a wireless card in the computer. I can get the laptop going for you and I'll deal with the wireless card tomorrow. It shouldn't be a problem."
So, here I am on the laptop which is much less easy to use but at least I can use it and, bless him, B will sort it today I am sure. He even talked Computer S through the problem so that he would know too.
We have brilliant neighbours and friends. I want to make sure I return the favour...hats for the girls perhaps?

4 comments:

Momkatz said...

I wish your brilliant and kind neighbors and friends made house calls!

Definitely caps for the girls.

USA Sister Cat

catdownunder said...

It keeps dropping out - but that is most definitely not B's fault. I was warned about this but it is SOOOOOOO frustrating

Jodiebodie said...

Even though my network is slow and the NBN promises to deliver faster speeds, I am not looking forward to the disruption of the NBN changeover snd frkm what other people have been saying, I worry it will be more unreliable than my current setup. Call me a cynic but I wonder whether the NBN only works for those people who can afford the newest technology. I also don't want to lose my landline with it. The sound quality of VOIP at the moment is rubbish compared to analogue phkne lines. Even though the landlines have a narrow bandwudth, the speech is intelligible because it doesn't get broken up like the digital signal. I hope the NBN works for you. Sounds like you had a good tradie.

Jodiebodie said...

Please excuse my typos. I'm trying to use my phone to leave comments - maybe I need to save that activity for the computer keyboard.