09 July 2007

N-Pretensions or how I Pwn Myself


1. I installed the n-draft enabler on the macbook - PWN MYSELF #1



2. Macbook grounds to a halt with current router (DG846G). I thought I'll be leet and update the firmware on the router. Instead I bricked it - PWN MYSELF #2 (Though Netgear should take some of the blame here for a lousy way of updating firmware)



3. Next day I got to buy the sik modem/router DG846N which has draft n-pretensions!!



4. I install it. It works well! Increased speeds from my macbook to imac! Margin increase of internet speed on macbook!! How joyous!! Though I do notice the macbook crashes for unknown reasons..



5. Next day (Friday) all hell breaks loose. The macbook continually crashes. There are some instances where I'll just let it sit there and 2 minutes it'll freeze! WTF?! After staying up to 4am I conclude that its the DG846N that's causing all the problems. it just doesn't work well with the macbook on any wifi network setting!! PWN MYSELF #3



6. Saturday I investigate if I can un-install the draft n (can't). I investigate if I can replace the card (can't its built in).



7. I decide to hell with this. I'm stuck with n-pretensions. A lot of the mac forums have said there's issues with being draft n. So the solution? Go get the fricking airport extreme!! That's guaranteed n-pretensions will work!! So I go do that and get a basic adsl+2 modem from netgear DN1111.



8. I promise myself the first thing I'm going to do when my n-pretensions is setup is to ebay my stupid DG834N.



9. First I setup the modem to install my ISP settings. Works a treat! Sik! Now all I need to do is install the airport extreme! I have this great meal of Shanghai food too ready for me to eat and celebrate; Dumplings, red bean pancake, noodles.. YUM!!



10. 4 hours later I still can't get it to freaking fking work!!!!!!!!!!!11



11. I find out that the modem I got is a POS device that has documented issues with the airport extreme. I can't fking believe it! In fact I find out that there's a few modems out there that don't really work well with the airport extreme. So much for plug and play. PWN MYSELF #3



12. Solution? I use the DG834N as the modem! And guess what it works. Though I can't exactly say I'm thrilled about the solution. Anyways. Network is up. Macbook runs fast and doesn't crash. All is well. I go eat my cold dumplings.



13. I have the airport express that I use for airtunes. Due to changing of networks its disabled. So I need to update the password.



14. I spend another fking hour trying to get this to work. I later find out I was connecting it to the wrong network PWN MYSELF #4.



15. At this stage I'm starting to hate apple products.



16. Next day I thought I'll try that virtual disk functionality with airport extreme with my external hard drive. I switch it over and sigh with relief as it works! Though I noticed tfr files from my imac is slower due to the USB 2.0 connect (previously I was on FW400).



17. It should be noted my entire itunes and iphoto library is on this external hard drive.



18. I'm on itunes and with a lazy Sunday arvo I'll go listen to the 1UP Yours podcast. So I go download it via itunes. And. Then. itunes. Crashes. FFFFCCCKKKK!!!!!!111 PWN MYSELF #5



19. I reboot my imac multiple times and I cannot for the life of me find my fking external hard drive on the network!!! WTF?! Yet on my Airport utility program it shows it recognises my external hard drive!!!!



20. I thought fk this. I re-configure my external hard drive back to what it was again. I'm really hating apple and especially the airport extreme. I conclude it a buggy POS from both a hardware and software perspective. Though it looks nice.



PS. I later find out that not all external hard drives work with the airport extreme and also find that itunes will crash like nuts if you try to download stuff from itunes store to your external hard drive via the airport extreme. I'm just fking speechless when I read that.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

man,you really went thru hell.. time to throw away all this stuff and summmon the rock gods and embrace yourself as a guitar hero.