Man VS Machine ?

Posted by $ BobCat 3 years, 1 month ago to Technology
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Sorry, this is lengthy and really off topic, but I just wanted to pass along a very strange and weird experience I had recently that is mind-boggling, but maybe eye opening, to me. It has to do with today's technology, and what it is really doing to us. Are we in the mode of turning our livelihood over to the Machines??

The other day, I turned on my laptop, and discovered that I had no WiFi connection to the outside world via the net. After stomping up the stairs to the ATT Wifi unit, I found that it was indeed on and operating. I checked my Ipad and it was WiFi connected. I checked the wife's laptop and it had WiFi connection. Even the hardwired computer to the ATT unit had internet connection. Naturally, I figured that the problem had to be with my laptop. I checked the configuration on my laptop to see if it had somehow disconnected itself from my ATT Wifi unit. Scanning the list of available WiFi connections I was surprised and shocked to find that my ATT WiFi unit was nowhere on the list of potential connections. The neighborhood's WiFi units were all on the list, but mine was not !

Puzzling. So I decided to take my laptop to the office and see if it would work on the office WiFi. It worked. My laptop would connect to the office Wifi, but not my home WiFi, while other computers
could and were connected (Wifi) to the home unit. Very puzzling.

The next day, the situation was unchanged so I called my computer repairman. He was also puzzled (and probably wondering if I had gone off the rails...) and suggested that I uninstall the computer's network adapter and reinstall. That didn't work the first time nor the second time. Still puzzled.

Later that evening, my wife wanted to use the Roku streaming device on the tv - she exclaimed that we 'lost internet (Wifi) connection for the Roku'. Again I checked her laptop, my Ipad, and the hardwired computer - they all had connections. Grrrrrr . Not knowing what else to do, I decided to jerk out the powercord on the ATT WiFi unit and let it sit for a couple of minutes, and restart it.

Voila, Magic, the skies opened up, the Sun shone through, and I had internet connection to all units once again.

This situation defies my logic and I can only offer one illogical explanation. The ATT WiFi unit decided, on its own and for whatever reason, to lockout only my laptop and my Roku unit. I have no idea as to why it decided to pick on me and my stuff, I never did anything malicious to it. It just made up its "mind" that I was no longer "worthy" of being connected to the outside world.
( I am almost thinking, and shuddering, that these electronic devices are making decisions on their own ?? )

And the people already have Alexa and thermostats and light switches and refrigerators and security systems Wifi-ed. And they want self driving cars??? Good luck with that concept. Whenever that event happens I shall be long disconnected from the internet. Totally. My Gulch will not have any of these electronic contraptions. Feel free to call me on a tin can and string.


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  • Posted by mccannon01 3 years, 1 month ago
    My wi-fi system has to be rebooted from time to time as well. Very frustrating. Over time it seems to forget what it's supposed to do. A reboot is just that, a boot in the butt to wake up and get back to work.
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    • Posted by $ 3 years, 1 month ago
      Owning electronics is like owning an old clunker such as my old 63 Corvair. It was dependable except for when it wasn’t, which was more often than I care to remember.
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  • Posted by freedomforall 3 years, 1 month ago
    I love manual switches. KISS is the way to go with vital services.
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    • Posted by Lucky 3 years, 1 month ago
      Manual switches. Do a little re-arranging of how the modem (etc ) is wired. Have the on/off switch easy to operate without standing on chairs or crawling over the floor. Next time there is some unexplained out-of-service, switch off, leave for two minutes, switch on. My experience is that sorts out 99% of problems.
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    • Posted by $ 3 years, 1 month ago
      And I like operating systems that give you the option whether to update or not. I despise Win10 for its automatic updates. I am not a control freak, but they have taken away my control of MY computer.
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  • Posted by $ AJAshinoff 3 years, 1 month ago
    its likely there was an update that had applied and the modem failed to reboot. Pulling the plug forced a complete hard boot and most likely allowed the update to apply.

    This isn't really an issue with win10 as much as it is with the modem. You can disable/delay automatic updates in Win10.

    https://youtu.be/OYvVtFE7Ufk
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    • Posted by $ 3 years, 1 month ago
      That is a possibility on the modem.

      As far as updates on the computer, I have Windows home version, and from my understanding, they only allow one to pause updates for up to 35 days. The home version does not allow for updates to be disabled.

      Thanks for the info.
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