Crazy German File #4

Thanks, Julie, for the reminder of the DSL Router. Since Crazy German File seems to have a readership, I see no reason why I shouldn't bring in some of the early stories before I had actually figured out my roommate was crazy.

This one happened more or less on Day 1. I moved in October 1st and would have gone to work setting up my wireless network as soon as possible. This Crazy German File is a result of that experience.

As always, it's a little helpful to explain the cultural differences. When one orders DSL in Germany it's possible to also order wireless internet. When you do this the phone company sends you a DSL modem that also functions as a wireless router. As far as I can tell these products are all manufactured and assembled in a country without the internet. How else could you explain the fact that none of them work right. If they had the internet in the factory, someone surely would be testing this product and not forwarding it to a needy public. The wireless signal is weak and unreliable.

Thankfully, I had thought ahead and brought my own Airport Express with me to Germany. I thought I was just making sure I had wireless at home. Turns out I need the savior of the Mac Gods to help me get a strong enough wireless signal. And now, on to the actual story.

Again, my roommate has wireless, but doesn't use the signal because she's afraid the neighbors will hack into her computer. "It's too insecure." No, honey, you're insecure! Her solution is to run a cable from the hallway into her room. There's only one cable. Meaning, only one person on the internet at a time. That won't do.

I made the mistake of working on installing my Airport Express when she was home. It was relatively early in the day. I like to plan extra time for such things. You never know when it's going to take a few hours. The first step is running a cable from the modem to the AE. Easy enough. Plug it in. Easy. And Wait. Not so easy.

It always takes a few tries. I hadn't used the modem in months and had forgotten the password, etc. While I'm working on setting up the AE she is checking her own internet connection. "It's out. What have you done?" "I hope you didn't break the modem." "It was working fine until you started messing with it." And ON AND ON.

All the while I'm thinking, "Chill out. Give me room to breathe and time to do what I know how to do. You're fear of this thing doesn't mean I can't solve the problem." In record time I actually manage to get the AE up and running. It took me about 30 minutes, and it was about all her nerves were going to take. Despite my encouragement that she should just relax and I would let her know when I was finished. For the 30 minutes it was as if Henny Penny was installing the thing herself.

How did I not see the rest of the craziness coming? Was I so blind?