Almost there . . . Wi-Fi and the Writer

Almost there–this post takes its title from Star Wars: A New Hope (aka Episode IV) during the “trench run” sequence.  I think that I finally figured out the problem with my wifi (crossing fingers, knocking on wood, throwing salt over my shoulder, and any other good luck myths that I can use).

If so, that will solve a HUGE issue for my for my writing and should make me more productive and regular in terms of fiction and this blog.  I’m on summer break and I should be using this blog to explore ideas for writing for the upcoming writing year.  I’ve decided that, hey, I’m a teacher, so my writing year should start and continue all throughout the school year.  Kinda’ sorta’ like what companies do with their fiscal year.  Summertime should be a time to let projects lie fallow (for editing), trying to come up with rough drafts (for things to turn into stories later), and finally new ideas for new projects (that can turn into rough drafts later).

But, with no wifi, I’m chained to the one area in the house that my ethernet cable will reach and its really affected the way I write.  I finally think I tracked down the issue: long story made short, it appears to be an issue with the mac and the airport utility (firmware) used to communicate between the router and mac.

So here’s what I *think* happened: (new) airport basestation –> downloaded (new) firmware when I plugged it in and connected it.  (new) firmware and (new) airport basestation ≠ (old) 2008 macbook pro and (new) OS X (Mavericks/Yosemite).  plugged in old base station.  (old) base station + (new) firmware did not get along, resulting in an unstable wifi connection (up and down constantly with new and old basestations).  finally reverted back to (old) basestation with (old) firmware with (old) 2008 macbook pro with (new) OS X (Yosemite).  Did you follow all that?  That’s 6 months of reading forum posts, trying different OS X solutions, YouTube vids, and waiting to see if new updates of IOS/OS X would fix the problem (hint: it didn’t).

Fingers very crossed that going backwards on everything but the OS results in a stable wifi connection again.  The computer is long in the tooth, I know, but it still has life in it and does everything I need it to do.  It runs all my software (except the games on Steam, but that’s what I have my PS4 for anyway 😀).  I would hate to spend money on a new laptop just yet when it really isn’t needed just to get wifi working on the new router if the old one will work just as well with the correct firmware.

I can’t say that I fault Apple for this–I mean this is a 7 year old computer.  But still, Apple has knocked it out of the park for me so often in that the software just works.  I never thought that I would experience a compatibility issue with Apple’s own router and firmware because of the age of the computer as everything worked seamlessly so far (and even when I used Apple software on Windows machines like Airport Utility for Windows, Safari for Windows, and iTunes for Windows–those all worked flawlessly).

More to the point, however, is how wifi affects me as a writer.  Unfortunately, I live in a neighborhood where it isn’t a good idea to show off your possessions (even a 7 year old laptop), otherwise I’d be living the writer’s dream and writing on the deck in all seasons except winter.  Since that can’t be the case, I find I write better (and more) when I find places inside with lots of sun and that are sun-warmed.  Ethernet, while giving internet access, limits me to the family room area (which is pretty dark and relatively cool), exactly the opposite of what I like as a writing environment.  Hence, my reluctance to write and one of the main reasons this blog is so haphazard.

I’m going to think positive and hope that I am “Almost There . . .” in getting my wifi situation sorted and moving up to be more productive and professional as a writer.