A minor part of a recent project was extending a wifi network. I bought a device which has no other purpose for its existence, and put aside half an hour one evening to give the little unit its opportunity to shine.
It can probably function as well as the box it came in promised, but a spelling error on that box should have warned me I was in for some entertainment along the way.
Between us we briefly created a network, and it was a strong and stable thing. We couldn’t actually connect to the network we were trying to extend, so it wouldn’t really be considered an extension in a court of law.
After numerous attempts at configuring the thing, I got to the part where the only option is to visit the indignity of a ‘reset’ upon it. That involves a paper clip, a tiny little hole, and intense embarrassment for the device.
A paper clip.
I needed one to gain the co-operation of a device designed to facilitate communication without paper. The thing has an aperture created for that exact tool.
I found a solid looking polished steel example in the top drawer, Straightened out one end, and did a reset. That taught the device a thing or two, and feeling satisfied I relaxed into my second hour of trying to coax a network extension out of it.
It got another couple of resets and still didn’t get the message, so it currently lurks in its box, probably mortified by all the poking it has received, but still not ready to give in. I don’t know how it will feel about being returned to the shop, nor do I care.
But I did give it some thought when the chance came to go for a ride yesterday.
After a week and a half of doing stuff, some of which was about as useful as the session with the wifi extender, I was ready for a reset myself.
Where a digital device needs a re-bent paper clip jammed in its smallest hole, I am mercifully simpler to operate.
All I need is a lap of the jungle up the back of the woods, and all is well with the world.
