Calling Mr. I.T. Guy!
The past two days have been especially challenging for me, particularly from an I.T. perspective. Most freelancers I know are their own tech person and I am no exception. Quirky phones and broken internet connections have recently conspired to work their mischief taking my time away from my usual writing projects.
Off to BJ’s Warehouse Club for New Phones
My wife and I first noticed things weren’t quite right two days ago when our digital phone 
began to cut out. It turned out that the battery on the unit was failing, but instead of replacing it we decided to upgrade everything by purchasing a new three handset answering system. Up to now we were relying on one phone plus our two cell phones, but decided that two additional bases would make the most sense. After a quick trip to BJ’s Warehouse Club we found exactly what we wanted and after charging the batteries we our new/improved system is ready to go.
Is It Time Warner Cable or the WIFI?
The internet connection has been a bit more of a challenge to figure out. Coupled with cable company downtime and busy signals when calling them for assistance, it took more than one day to find out what the problem was. Turns out that the WIFI unit was shot requiring a trip to Office Max in the early morning hours to find a compatible and upgraded device. After installing the Linksys router and playing around with the settings things seem to be working okay. (Hmmm…is that my neighbor’s high powered unsecured network showing up on my profile page? I wonder if I can tap into his network instead…kidding!)
One Final Project
The last leg of what is turning out to be a three-part I.T. project is upgrading some of the surge protectors around the home. With lots of electronic equipment scattered hither and yon, the potential of losing some of this stuff to a power surge is of concern especially since the new phone system and a couple of key electrical appliances aren’t currently protected. A call to the power company will result in placing a surge protector on the outside of the house, but that won’t stop all surges from sneaking inside. So, it looks like 2-3 new protectors will be needed.
Yes, the final tally for this project will likely pass $300, but that is chump change compared to what I would have had to pay to an I.T. professional. I do have a local guy I can go to in the event that a worst case scenario unfolds, but that would only involve a complete meltdown of essential services. Besides, his turn around time can be measured in weeks as his business is booming. I cannot afford lengthy downtime although I do have a backup computer.
Freelancing is still the way to go, but there are plenty of side issues that weigh in. I’m not the most tech savvy guy there is and I’m sure someone else can figure things out faster. Keeping my I.T. costs down is important even if it means some late night calls for help or flipping through catalogs in search of the right answer.
[...] able to do the same had my main computer’s CD ROM been operable, but it is jammed shut. As mentioned yesterday, our home/business phone system was also upgraded and I placed new surge protectors around the [...]