A funny story

While we are talking about router/modem etc, I thought i should share this story. About a month ago, I receive a call from my mum. She said that her internet is not working. I am concern initially because I set it up for her using a Billion 5100 ADSL router/modem. Her ISP is Telstra/Bigpond.

She said that the ADSL is not working because she had changed plans with Telstra and thus will need to change the password on the router. Which is strange, because all she is doing is to change from an unlimited plan to a limited plan, I thought they could set it all up on the router at Telstra's end without need my mum to change her password. And as the Billion is not bought from Telstra, they said that they can't support the modem and suggest that she buy a crappy router/modem from Telstra.

She had her next door neighbour come over and talking to the tech support at Billion to try to put in the new password without success.

I was seriously thinking of getting some of my old work mate to come over to help my mum with the router because I thought that even if i get on the phone and walk my mum throught it, she might not be able to do it.

To my utter suprised, we manage to get the ADSL connection working. I am so proud of my mum. I even got her to type in CMD and then pinging various ip addresses. :)

The funniest thing in the whole episode is that when i asked her to default the router by inserting a pin in the reset hole at the back, she was stuffing something into the hole marked "console".

It was strange that when i asked her to reset the router, it didn't work and she said that she is using something to press the hole at the back. Finally, after feeling a bit frustrated at the router which won't reset, i searched the web to see what a billion 5100 looked like. That was when i discovered that she was pressing the wrong hole at the back. hmm

After she pressed the reset button, the router reset and i walked her through setting up her internet connection.

Hmm, i don't think i got her to change the password on the router. I will have to call her tonight to do that.