So as soon as I sent that note from Margie’s computer, my PC spontaneously rebooted and started talking again to Margie’s, meaning I could get through to the Internet. Huzzah.
The main problem I’ve been having is with the Internet sharing between the two systems, over our 802.11b WiFi network here at home, spazzing out, such that my machine doesn’t get access to DNS. This might happen when I boot up, when Margie boots up, or at some random point in time. At which point the only thing that seems to work is rebooting (either machine, a random number of times), disconnecting and reconnecting the WiFi adapter on my notebook, and swearing a whole bunch. And, after an indeterminate amount of time, everything will start working again.
After this happened yesterday morning, I decided to try something I had been meaning to try a while back. Margie’s machine is connected, via Ethernet, to our Wireless Access Point, which is what I talk to with my WiFi adapter. We did this with an eye toward multiple machines (my notebook down here, Margie’s old computer upstairs) bridging through Margie’s machine to our dial-up Net connection.
What I tried was instead connecting another WiFi adapter to her machine, so that we were creating an ad hoc network, rather than routing through an access point. In theory, this should have worked just as well, and in fact somewhat better, given the odd restrictions on configuring and controlling D-Link Access Points. For one thing, it would have made it relatively easy to install WEP security on our wireless network, which has been missing.
Well, obviously, it didn’t work. I was only ever once able to ping Margie’s machine, and never could get DNS access.
Stupid computer things. Dave smash.
Interlude whilst Margie was sleeping this morning, Katherine was eating Cheerios, and I was shuttling back and forth between computers.
DADDY: [Having an inspiration.] I’m a genius! Hey, Kitten, is your daddy a genius or a goofball?
KATHERINE: A goo’ball!
It turns out she was right, of course.
Well, at least I’m connected. Until tomorrow, at least.