Network-Man

Quick background. After we moved from the friendly confine of the CableShoppe to our new digs, we were needless to say without any High Speed access to the Internet. Now this is actually an important thing as we were in the habit of communicating inter office via e-mail. I know it seems silly to shoot something out over the net to the guy in the next office, but it works so don't knock it.

I had Cable Modem all set to go for install the second week we were there. Then along comes our friendly Choice One salesman, who says "gosh guys if you order five regular lines through us, you can get FREE DSL." So much for Cable Modem and so much for High Speed access to the net. This was in OCTOBER.

Choice One JUST NOW installed our DSL at the end of last week. More fool us to listen to a salesman.

Anyway I went out on Friday and got a D-Link router, and instead of buying premade Cat5 cable I got a big spool of the stuff and and bought some ends and a crimper. I mean how hard can it be to make Cat5 cables?

This is of course a stupid question. It's quite hard indeed. It took me a long time to do the first wire. Lucky for me it was the right length for the Boss' computer as I have not been able to make another one that works.. Yet.

What we have learned so far.

1) you don't have to strip the itty bitty wires inside the cable (all 8 of them), when you crimp the wires into the ends they get connected by the very act of crimping.

2) its is NOT easy to get all those tiny little wires to go flat and do just what you tell them when they start all twisted together and in a ROUND shape.

3) I did know this ahead of time: you MUST get the 8 wires in EXACTLY the same color pattern on each end.

4) I am supposing this now as I'm having problems making more than ONE good cable: the pattern must be the same on every cable.

5) There cannot be the slightest thing wrong with the internal wire of the cable or the damn thing just won't work.

6) and this is the MOST important lesson. Just buy the damn pre-made ones!!!

QOTD: Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in length.
-- Robert Frost

Music Today: Three Yes shows from Germany. Lots of new agey stuff tonight from Channel 103 - Audio Visions.

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