Although today is mostly computer talk, it should contain the same earthy nuggets of knowledge hard to find in far pricier publications. My victim is the Linksys print server of recent discussion. The thing does not work and cannot be made to work with the set of instructions provided. That is kind of a raw thing to say about Cisco (who bought Linksys out) because they make good routers that almost self-configure. I’m beginning to wish this print server would self-destruct.Linksys is guilty of the cardinal computer sin, namely: having problems that are not mentioned in the instructions. Pioneered by Sony and boiled to perfection by Microsoft, this disgusting omission had me going for five long hours today. Connecting the thing is easy, three wires in fifteen seconds. It is the configuration that bogs down. I’ll try again tomorrow. However, to potentially save you time, I will tell you about the necessary facts that are missing from the manual. I have to assume you are using XP or earlier.
Stay with me here. To configure the new print server, you have to first connect through the network to the print server. This means before you start configuration, an administrator computer and the new print server with printer attached must be connected to the network so they can communicate (even though they do not communicate at this point in the procedure). Communication requires IP addresses, be patient. This is a hard-wired connection, not wireless. You can go wireless later, but you must be wired to do the setup.
Starting with your admin computer, the (now remote) printer that you connected to the new Linksys print server must be added to EACH computer in your network as a LOCAL printer, along with the correct driver for that computer’s operating system. Go easy on the language, big guy! (Use the Add Printer Wizard. When offered the selection for local or network printer, select “local printer attached to this computer” but uncheck the “Automatically detect…” box. You can now add a local printer that isn’t really local. Aha, you always wondered why that check box was there. Send money.)
The next step in the Add Printer Wizard is important to understand. Make double sure the new print server and printer are connected and turned on. By default, each computer expects the printer “port” to be LPT1 (Line Printer 1, for any youngsters out there who missed the real computer revolution). You cannot use port LPT1 to network. Select the second radio button, “Create a new port” and from the drop list choose “Standard TCP/IP port”. This is what enables your computer to find the print server, whose IP is 192.168.1.160. See how it begins to make sense when I describe it?
Yes, I hear the astute among you grumbling, “When are we gonna get to the server? This is all Windows crap so far.” That’s true. Maybe this explains why Linksys fails to help out—it ain’t their department. Just maybe all this information is somewhere in the bowels of the Internet, but I had to figure it out myself. Send more money.
More data on Jimbo’s. The other band, “Fired Up” is connected with a magazine that appeals to the motorcycle lifestyle. Does this mean we become a biker bar? See, I have a bike. With saddlebags. No place to pack my momma but I can move her groceries. Actually, it begins to tally. That band was playing the right music mix for a pub and the lower prices at Jimbo’s makes good sense for regular patrons. We shall see. Meanwhile, I’m removing the fluorescent streamers from my handlebars grips. I just know them mean bikers would stretch the springs on me.
I paid my power bill for January. It was $52, around $19 less than usual. No rebates, no refunds, no change in usage. I have no explanation why the bill was lower that month, but then again, I’m not usually up at 3:30 a.m.
