A while ago I wrote about a Belkin router that I had bought, namely about the fact that it was utter garbage as is Belkin’s tech support.  In its place I purchased a Netgear WGR614 v5 router (the v5 is the white one).  This has been much better with just a few minor flaws, until recently.

The first minor flaw was that when you first plug it in, it enters a setup mode where it tries to detect your connection type (static, dynamic, PPPoE, etc), but it detected mine incorrectly.  This wouldn’t be a big deal except it provides no way for you to bypass this auto-config wizard.  So I’m stuck with "static" and I have to enter my static IP address, which of course I don’t know since I don’t actually HAVE a static IP address.  But this is literally my only option so I enter some bogus numbers.  After trying to use my bogus numbers to get online, the router tells me it can’t connect, and FINALLY it tells me that I can visit this URL to manually set up the router.  There should be a link to that URL on the very first page.

But again, that’s a relatively minor problem.  The bigger problem I’m having now is that every 2 weeks or so the router just locks up.  It no longer routes and it’s not even pingable; the only option is to power-cycle it.  I frequently need to access my home systems from remote locations so this is a big problem for me.  If I were sitting next to it when it happens I could just reset it, but from miles away there is no solution.

I’ve been looking for a firmware update on their site but there hasn’t been one since I bought the router.  And actually, in the changelog for the current firmware, it says something to the effect of "fixed random lockups" that had been occurring in the previous version.  Yeah, I guess not.

It looks like I’ll be switching back to D-Link’s routers.  I have always used them with pretty much no problems, but the Belkin one that I tried was dirt cheap (and made of dirt, apparently), and this Netgear one is sooo sweet-looking on the outside.  I guess I should have known better than to be swayed by its exterior charm though.  A bulky D-Link router that works is better than a pretty Netgear one that doesn’t.

So this blog’s archives page is now organized by date, instead of just by post number.  It looks much nicer, and it’s more in line with most other web-publishing systems too.

Help!  I used to have a great photo app that you designed called (I think)  "Make Photo Webpage".  But my computer crashed, I had to wipe it clean and reload Windows from scratch and now I don’t have it any more - and it doesn’t seem to be on your website.  Is there any way you can tell me how to do it again?

Those of you who post around here should notice that it’s a lot faster now.

Previously, whenever a new post or reply was created, the weblog would email me a zip file containing all the posts ever made on my site.  (Yes, I am a backup fanatic.)  There are now nearly 800 posts though, and all those posts total about 1 megabyte, and emailing a 1-megabyte file is taking my server about 15-20 seconds.

So now, the weblog will only send that big email once per day.  If you’re the lucky first poster of the day, then you’ll still feel the slowdown between clicking the "post" button and your post appearing.  But all other posts/replies will be ~instant now.

I also cleaned up the help page so it’s now Easier Than Ever(TM) to include links and other formatting in your posts.

Hello squirrel face  ( :

Sinjin is a daddy!!  His nine puppies were born on Mother’s day...  3 boys and 6 girls.  The mother of the puppies is the sister (and litter mate) of our sweet beloved Kiraly. Three are sold already, but the rest are up for grabs...  They are AKC Weimaraners, champion bloodlines on both sides.  Penny, I’ll email you pics, can you put them on here?  Hmmm, can you have a dog at your new apartment???

From the American English Dialect Test:

Your Linguistic Profile:

50% General American English

35% Yankee

10% Dixie

5% Upper Midwestern

0% Midwestern

That’s crap though, since obviously the way I talk is the correct way.  There’s obviously some problem with the test, and I really scored a 100% under "General American English."

How about you?

: )  Happy 050505  ( :

lvu, as always,