Ruperts Rants

Setting up a Netgear wireless router repeater

2010-09-29T10:46:00.004+01:00

Now, many people have wireless networks in their house, for laptops, phones, music and even computers, but it seems that the problems in setting them up are not so simple. I wanted to extend my network throughout the house. Having the same SSID I thought would be simple enough, so I bought the latest NetGear Wireless Access point, as Ebuyer reviews suggested it was easy to set up.

Well it is if you know how to change the IP address of your computer, and you only want to set it up as a lone access point. However if you want to only have one SSID broadcast, then it is very complex.

It should, in 2010 be plug and play. Plug it into the network, let it find the current broadcast SSID, put in a wep key, and roll. No chance.

I have however got an answer from Netgear, and it worked perfectly I do hope this helps someone out there who is struggling to set one up. To find out how to change the IP address of you Computer... Go to my Networks, right click on it, scroll down to the TCIP setting, click properties, and edit them there. You will probably loose internet connection when you do this, so be aware. Here is what a very nice chap at Netgear suggested:

Latest update by the Support Agent:Dear Rupert,

Thank you for choosing NETGEAR. My name is Anand and I will be your support engineer. I appreciate the opportunity to assist you.

I understand that you would like to configure repeating between DGN2000 and WG602. I apologize for the inconvenience you have experienced. Since we are doing this online, it may require a few email exchanges before we can resolve the issue. Please be assured that I will do my best effort to help resolve your case in the least amount of time.

Regarding the concern, please ensure that the below mentioned conditions should be true for both DGN2000 and WG602:

1. All router/AP devices must use the same SSID, wireless channel, authentication mode (if any), and encryption mode.
2. The Repeating feature will work only with no security OR WEP
3. All router/AP must be on the same LAN IP subnet. That is, all the AP LAN IP addresses are in the same network.
4. All LAN devices must be configured to operate in the same LAN network address range as the APs.

Please perform the below task to configure the settings on DGN2000:

1. Connect a computer to the router using any one of the 4 available ports.
2. Open a web browser like Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Safari.
3. Access the router's GUI by typing 'http://192.168.0.1' or 'http://www.routerlogin.com' in the address bar.
4. When prompted for Username and Password, please enter 'admin' for the Username and 'password' for Password.
5. Click on Wireless settings in the left hand side menu under Setup.
6. Change the network name SSID to NETGEAR123.
7. . Select security options as 'WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)'.
8. Set the 'Authentication Type' as 'Automatic'.
9. Set the 'Encryption Strength' as 64-bit.
10. In Key 1 type a 10 digit number.
11. Apply the settings.
12. Click on Advanced Wireless Settings in the left hand side menu under Advanced
13. Check the option for Enable Wireless Bridging and Repeating and select Repeater with Wireless Client Association and enter the MAC address of the WG602 in Remote MAC Address 1 box
14. Click Apply.

Please login to the interface of WG602 and perform the below task:

1. Click on Wireless Bridging under Advanced and select the option Repeater with Wireless Client Association
2. Enter the MAC address of the DG834Gv4 router and click apply.
3. click on Wireless Settings in the left hand side menu under Setup.
4. Change the network name SSID to NETGEAR123 and click apply.
5. Click on Security Settings in the left hand side menu under Setup and select Security Type as WEP.
6. Select Authentication Type as Open System.
7. Select Encryption Strength as 64 bits.
8. Under Security Encryption (WEP) Key in the Key 1 box enter the same 10 digit key that was used on the router before. Click Apply.
9.Click on IP Settings in the left hand side menu under Setup.
10. Set the DHCP Client to disable.
11. Let the IP address be 192.168.0.227 and enter subnet mask as 255.255.255.0 and Default Gateway as 192.168.0.1 and click apply.

Please powercycle th complete network and check if can go online on your wireless network through the WG602.

Please do visit http://kb.netgear.com for any technical queries regarding NETGEAR products.

I hope the steps above will help resolve the issue. If you need any further help, please email us back so that we can continue to work on a solution.

A system generated e-mail will be sent to your e-mail address to inform you that we have responded to your inquiry. Please DO NOT REPLY to the e-mail sent to your e-mail address. Instead, if you want to reply to the message above and have additional query, please click "no" when the system ask you "Was your problem resolved with the information provided by the NETGEAR representative above?" When you select YES, your case will be closed and a separate e-mail containing a survey link will be sent to you to measure your customer support experience.

Thanks again for choosing NETGEAR. Have a great day!

Sincerely,

Technical Support
NETGEAR, Inc.

Ashbourne Parking

2010-09-08T09:34:00.003+01:00

I met a very nice parking man in Ashbourne the other day. I had completely forgotten about buying a ticket, and let me off.

I offered him an ice cream, and he declined with a smile. That sort of behaviour needs to be encouraged. I would have deserved a ticket really.

Publish Post

Also, I saw an old School friend driving a large white vehicle at 75 miles an hour in a field behind Mum and Dads house.

Drew Bowler. A truely stunning vehicle!

I cannot wait to see Jeremy Clarksons face.. he will love it!

The Helly Hansen Challenge

2010-04-03T08:10:00.006+01:00

I only have my wife to blame.

After all it was Sue who started to do triathlons recently, and so Stu thought I was an appropriate team member.
Actually, he chose his team well, we were all as slow as each other, and entered the race with the same view.
Jon did some serious training on the beer for the weeks leading up to it, making sure he had plenty of carbo loading. Stu strained his groin the week before, ensuring a good "taper" to his training, and I skipped supper the night before, so that I was not carrying any extra weight.

So what could go wrong?

Well, it didn't. We had a great time, were delighted with the result (We beat Lord of the Pies, and that was our goal.... actually the did not manage to complete it)
The Tempus Fu Gits came in 94th out of 331, were commended by some Young things who thought we had done exceptionally well to get round al all, and saw an opportunity to do so much better next year, with a little serious training......

Call me old fashioned but...

2009-06-03T21:11:00.005+01:00

It seems that Toshiba are playing games with me. I bought a Laptop from http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/ on Friday, and it was sold with a £50 cashback.. Now I went to claim the cashback today, and got this message:

When To Register You purchased your qualifying Toshiba laptop less than 30 days before today’s date. You can register your Cash Back claim in 25 days from 28th June 2009.

Hang on? So I the condition for getting the cashback is I have to apply for it between 30 and 60 days after my purchase??? WHY?

With technology being soooo clever these days, I doubt there is any reason for this other than the fact they hope I will forget. Is this reasonable?

Now on the Laptopsdirect website, it does say terms and conditions apply, but it does not specify anything else. It does not say "Unreasonable terms and conditions apply" .

They might as well say, cashback available if you breed toads with pink toes. Maybe I am on an Amazonian Safari then? I bought my laptop and want the cashback I have been offered now.

Or am I being unreasonable?

Ashbourne Parking Fines

2009-03-19T10:45:00.006Z

Well, I read in Our fine local rag, The Stunner, about how the parking police were getting carried away with getting everyone they could, and it worried me. So I wrote to the editor:

Dear Sir,
It was with interest that I read your article about how the parking police were getting carried away at Shrovetide getting everyone they could, and it worried me.It worried me because I could see how this would be driving away local shoppers to shop from home. I am not adverse to shopping online myself, and personally hope people do, as I have my own sites like www.SuitsMen.co.uk and www.LucyAlice.co.uk but I always try to support local businesses when I can, as I appreciate what they have to offer.However, today, I went to town on my motor bike, for a dentist appointment, a hair cut, and to buy a few things. I parked outside Bagshaws on Church Street, on the 1/2 hour free parking taking up very little space. The row of parking spaces was virtually empty, as it was when I returned.After only 41 minutes I had a fixed penalty fine. Now I know I broke the parking rules. But why do they have a 30 minute limit? My guess is so that there is a regular turn over of quick shoppers. I was that Shopper. So I broke the letter, but not the spirit.My next job is to go to Amazon to buy the items I could not get in town. My reluctance to shop in town has been increased by this experience, which is not a good thing for Ashbourne.In summary, this is another classic case of the Council taking money, and the Town losing out. The council should be making it easier for people to park, to use the leisure facilities and make the most of our wonderful town. Instead, they are steadily killing it.

Kind Regards

Rupert Bowling
www.Suitsmen.co.uk

Adwords made Easy

2009-03-12T19:44:00.002Z

This is a beautifully simple explaination of adwords pricing, and how Google calculates what we pay.

If you are interested in internet Marketing, then this is a must, as the consepts here can be translated into how Google ranks your site in organic serps too.

Simply put, your price is dependant on your bid, and your quality score, and the bid and Quality score of the person bidding below you.

Your quality Score is measured by the combination of Click through Rate, Ad relevance and the quality of your landing page.

Simple eh?

Two blogs in One day, I can feel a song coming on!

The Benefits of Being 80

2009-03-12T15:51:00.003Z

My Neighbour Vera, will be 80 soon. She is doing well, 21 with 59 years of experience.

She told me that the government kindly up your pension when you get to 80, by a whoopping 25p per week.
If she saves that up for a month, it will buy her a whole 1 litre of milk, and if she shops carefully, there will still be some change left over.

Gordon is doing great things with th £150 billion extra he is printing.

So next time there is an election, don't vote, or the government will get in.

Ipod Nano

2009-02-20T07:51:00.004Z

I am not an "Apple Fan", but I do find the ipod a nice bit kit. Apple irritated me somewhat in the way they try to control my world, but I generally get round it, using Media Monkey instead of itunes. It took the programmers a while to get over the hurdles that Apple put in their way, but it is better software for me.

Recently however, I bought a nano for my wife Sue. I plugged it into our speaker in the bedroom where we charge ipods, and a message came up saying:
Charging is not supported by this device.

WHAT?

Apple have now changed the charging, so that after market equipment, have to change something to be able to charge the damn thing.

The only way we can charge this new nano, is in the computer. The wall charger does not work either. I have not tried the car yet.

As you can tell, we are set up for ipod. One of the reasons we went for them, is because there is plenty of after market neat kit about. I can take my music with me to the car, without having to resort to a bit of wire hanging down the dashboard.

Signing off, irritated of Ashbourne.

Elggin Sports Centre

2008-04-15T15:50:00.002+01:00

We just got back from a trip to see friends in Scotland. It is perhaps unfair to compare Scotish Facilities with our own, as we know that Scotland gets something like £1500 per head more money than England from the Govenment.

However, I would like to say what a superb set up they have. Not only is the pool modern, with a slide, Childrens pool, and "showers" in the pool itself, but it also has an ice skating rink, a relaxation area, sauna, spa pool etc, a bar, a cafe, oh and of course Squash courts.

Not sure I would be doing the Pole Dancing lessons, but I am sure there is something there for everyone :)

Dad and Ivy on Trees

2008-03-28T16:08:00.004Z

Dad and I have for many years discussed the problem of Ivy on trees.

I see it as a part of Nature, and Dad sees it as a parasite, that kills trees, and spoils the winter tracery of the trees. This we disagree on.
However he has for some time been developing an interesting twist on this, and that is that there are two types of Ivy, one that is fairly harmless, and the other than does indeed live off trees as a paracite. His frustration is that he cannot get anyone to see this, and so if there are any botonists out there who might be interested in investigating this further, please drop me a line. I attach his latest letter to a notable countryman, as he is now 85, championing this beyond the written word is becoming more difficult:

I see you have joined the discussion on the highs and lows of the so-called “common” ivy. You may remember that I wrote to you a year or so back, regarding my experiences of cutting the main “trunks” of two apparently different types of ivy only to find that one(male?) died and within a year was blown off the tree. That ivy grew close to the tree trunk and so did not materially affect the tree trunk diameter. The other with flowers(female?), continued to grow despite not being connected to a ground root----perhaps a parasite or getting food from it’s outstretched leaves and branches?

At the time, as now, you simply extolled the virtues of ivy, particularly on walls, for it’s shelter for small mammals, insects and birds------which I have no quarrel with—but wouldn’t accept my facts of two ivy’s and the detrimental effect on the fine tracery of, especially, winter trees .If it’s not affecting the majority of all sizes of trees in the area where you live, do please come to Mid-Derbyshire and I’ll show you lots!!

My recent letter to The Telegraph was heavily “editored” by the removal of all the facts leaving it with just general agreement and a headline “Kill Ivy”! The editor simply ignored my complaint----I wonder what else he “edits” out without us knowing?

So to sum up. I have no problem with anyone growing ivy up a house or shed if they so wish Whether the female variety behaves the same way on walls as it does on a tree I have no idea.

To destroy the beautiful tracery of a new or fully grown tree with it’s branches of all sizes and making a one foot diameter trunk or branch become three feet diameter does not seem a good idea to me nor, I would think, to any true nature lover or countryman.

Why not try my experiment on two trees near you and write to me (again) in one or two year’s time?!!

I hope the evidence is clearer this time.
Thanks for answering my letter last time.

Sincerely,

2008-03-10T15:15:00.002Z

Derby is lucky to have a new Westfield Shopping Centre:
http://www.westfieldderby.co.uk/

A fantastic Church to Shopping. Westfield are I believe an Australian company, and I have seen their work in America too.
I do not want to down play the impact this has on Derby, but as ever there is a downside.

I understand that 22 retailers have closed in the "Cathedral Quarter" of Derby since Nov 2007.
Yes, 22 since Nov. Whats that 4 months? how many retailers can there be?

That includes Irongate and Sadler Gate, and I have to admit, that when I last walked through there, it was remarkably quiet. Alot of work has gone into making it smarter, but has it been money well spent?

Perhaps that is because it is now alive only at night, that I cannot say, anyone a point of view?

Our own Derby Paper has highlighted their plight, and the council has offered to reduce the rates. It was a surprise therefore to hear that the council are also offering to reduce the rates in the New Westfield Centre too.
Can I have my rates reduced too please?

I would be interested to know the plans for the shops when they are empty. Housing perhaps? Is that to be the fate of the old Debenhams? There are apparently a number of scenarios for that building, but at the present, I cannot guess what they are.

2008-02-19T01:12:00.000Z

What is the Purpose of A leisure Centre?

Well, it is with surprise that I return from Holiday to see the Stunner has picked up on my first ever real post. While that was completely unexpected, it is rather nice to know that they are on the ball. Thankyou. It made me re read my post with the dread that I had said something I would regret, but no, I don't think so.
My second post was planned to be about one of my favourite mountain bike routes in Derbyshire, however the Telegraphs interest has encouraged me to develop on the theme of what a Leisure Centre Should be for.
IMHO, it should be an amenity for the residence of the local community. With the growing "Obesity Crisis" everyone is talking about, part of the role of local Government should be to promote physical activity. They do so in part by providing a Leisure Centre.
To do this effectively, the various activities should be widely promoted, and should be priced at a level available to all. While nothing is free these days, my feeling is a Leisure Centre should never be about making money. It should be subsidised by the local government, to make sport of all sorts available to all.

So, let us take a look at Squash.

An area I am familiar with, having played at Ashbourne, Uttoxeter and the private club in Duffield. I will for now ignore the possible parking costs of going to Ashbourne to play squash, but will just note here that at Duffield parking is free, although it might cost a little more in petrol to get there.

A couple of years ago (I think it was 2 years, although time does fly by) I spoke at length to a person at Matlock (to remain nameless) about the cost of Squash Courts at Ashbourne. As a regular player, the cost was high for me, and I was hoping to discuss ideas about how to encourage other players to start playing. We talked, I thought at the time, fruitfully about monthly or annual fees instead of court fees. Cheaper courts during the day, and several other ideas involving the club. I was told at the time that Ashbourne's prices were set to match other Council run courts within 15 minutes of Ashbourne. I might be slightly wrong in the detail, but "compared with courts within 15 minutes" was certainly part of the discussion. I have been racking my brains ever since to work out which courts these are, to no avail. And anyway, nothing was done.

As a player who dreams of playing on average twice per week, the true cost of Ashbourne Squash I realised was £6.35 per week,
(£6.35 x 2 times per week / 2 players per court) or in 50 weeks of the year, £317.50. A considerable sum.
On talking to players at Duffield, I discovered I could play at £120 per year, plus
(£2.00 x 2 times per week / 2 players per court) £2.00 per week or in 50 weeks of the year, £120 + £100 = £220 per year.
A saving of nearly £100 per year. Oh, and if you play at lunch, or early afternoon, courts cost only £1.00 each, handy if you work nearby.
On top of that, you get more people to play, nicer showers, a sauna, a Gym of £1.00 per session, pool, a bar, world class matches to watch... the big down side is the people. I miss the people I used to play with every week. Fortunately I still get to play with them occasionally, even if Dave Short calls me a traitor :)
Nearly forgot to mention, you can still play over the Christmas break, when Ashbourne Leisure Centre is shut.
So, without looking at the prices at Uttoxeter, where I think the pricing is even more favourable I come back to my original point. A leisure centre should not be there to make money. If a private club can offer better facilities at a better price, I have to ask, why can't it be done at our Leisure Centre?

So What Should Ashboune LC Do:

Reduce the cost of a Squash court
Reduce the cost of courts during the day

But then I do not have to run the Leisure Centre as a business, and make money at it.

2008-01-30T20:59:00.000Z

The Mole of Ashbourne.

For years I have been promising anyone who would listen in Ashbourne, that ONE DAY, I would write in the "Stunner" the local Ashbourne News, about my thoughts on how "things" are run. We have a local leisure Centre. It is something of which we should be proud.

It is not.

Simply, and I will I hope expand on this later, it is not run for the community, it is run as a money making excercise. I say excercise, because if it were run as a business, then it would be run completely differently.

I will make some notes here about some of the things I would like to talk about. Actually, to be fair, perhaps I should start by listing the good points about Ashbourne.

Good Point. Things I love about Ashbourne.

Shrovetide football
Fantastic Pubs
Great Music Scene.
Schools second to none.
A set of local shops we do not deserve
Friendly People
Countryside to die for, especially if you mountain bike or Walk
Great fireworks.
Alton Towers nearby

Thats Better, now I feel good.

Here are some of "the Moles" Grumbles:

Leisure centre Changing rooms
Time it took to get a Leisure centre.
Jobs worth Manager
Only 2 of the three squash courts now in use
£6.35 for a squash court (Its Derbyshire, not London!)
Having to pay for car parking at the leisure centre.
A Homebase going up! (We are Ashbourne not Derby!)

So, at last, I have them off my Chest. So to Publish.

2008-01-10T05:36:00.001Z

Goodness, did I really feel that way about Brett in those days?

There must have been something good about the chap, and he has never done anything thing against me, so I must have been poisoned in my feelings towards him by those arround me.
The disinfranchised :)

Still no smoke without fire.

2003-10-17T14:18:00.001+01:00

Search Engineering Specialists

This is a test to see if i can work this blogging thing. My web site :)

2003-10-17T14:12:00.001+01:00

There is only one I have found for reliable info on how to get good positions on search engines, and that is www.webmasterworld.com run by Brett T. What a star, without him I would be at work now punishing myself for someone else.