Tag Archive internet

ByMarc Fowler

I’ll connect anything!

Where would we be these days without our wired and wireless internet connections? So many of our devices simply won’t work to their full potential without them.

I’m regularly called out to connect people’s devices to the internet; usually computers, but the list of things I connect is steadily growing.

In the last year, I’ve connected the following;

  • Laptops and desktop computers running Microsoft Windows 98, Me, 2000, XP, Vista and 7)
  • Laptops and desktop computers running Linux operating systems such as Ubuntu and Mint
  • Apple iMac
  • Apple MacBook
  • Apple iPod Touch
  • Apple iPhone
  • Apple iPad
  • Nintendo Wii
  • Nintendo DS Lite
  • Sony PSP
  • Sony PlayStation 3
  • Microsoft Xbox 360
  • Various mobile phones including Blackberry smartphones

I have also connected countless printers to home broadband routers to enable wireless printing. This is something I’ve seen many people struggle to set up or get the most from. Many is the time I’ve had to explain that a wireless printer can be used from any computer in a home, not just the one that plugged into the old printer!

An increasing number of the above connections are wireless. While better than a few years ago, wireless connections can still be awkward to set up. Either people are not sure what to do, or obscure technical problems get in their way. That’s usually when they call me.

Once connected, I will often show people how to make the most of their new devices. iPod Touch and iPhone users find this particularly helpful, as a little guidance goes a long way to getting the most out of them.

Gone are the days when a “computer man” only helped with computers!