9/27/07

OK. I know I had more to write three minutes ago when I woke up my laptop and started Word.

Hmmm. Maybe just riffing along it’ll come out, so here we go:

I’ve cracked the first layer of secrecy surrounding the multi-router home network. It wasn’t nearly as hard as a lot of people make it out to be: it’s all in the IP’s. In case there’s anyone out there who wants to know, just use a different digit in the 3rd space of the IP address for each router. For example, if your gateway router is using the LAN IP of 192.168.1.xxx, the next router would be (for ease of remembering your physical layout) 192.168.2.xxx for its LAN IP (downstream) and the WAN IP (upstream) for that router can be obtained from the gateway’s DHCP server. Of course being the über-geek that I am I gave it a static IP so I can always find it if I need to

So at any rate I have my entertainment center on the second router and all the other computers in the house on a hub off the gateway/modem. I’ve got another router and I may insert it between the hub and the other computers so that all I have coming off the hub are routers. That should decrease the chances of data boo-boos when Ember, Sammy, the TiVo, PS2 and me are all on at the same time. I didn’t want to put a hub in at all but my ISP’s modem/gateway/router only has one LAN port on it. Naturally the local ISP has a home networking service that will design, build, and install a home network for you for a small fee and using their hardware. The only problem I’m having now is getting the port forwarding to work through two routers. My PS2 needs one particular port open for Burnout: Revenge and of course it’s a weird one that’s defaulted to “CLOSED” on pretty much every firewall in existence. I opened it on the gateway, but for some reason I can’t turn off the firewall in the second router and I can’t get that port to forward from or through the second router. Any help there would be appreciated.

Might be doing lunch with Critter today, but I’m not holding my breath. Lunch plans were kind of hit and miss when we were together. She’s still got my copy of Kingdom Hearts II, though, so she’ll have to see me eventually. We’re trying the friend thing, but it seemed a little strained today, not sure why.

I finally got a new spare key for the truck and two new remotes. I threw away my old remote and key last year sometime (it was an accident) and I’ve been drving on my spare ever since. Good thing I had a spare house key too, which I’ve now replaced so my spares are back in their hiding place (and no I’m not going to say where….) and I’m using my new regulars.

Good Eats on the Food Network is a really cool show.

I freaked Ember a little yesterday, but I didn’t mean to. There was an ambulance, fire truck and police car up at my part of the complex (it’s in three parts, and most of the medical problems are in the first part and the last part, not the middle) and I didn’t hear my phone ringing. So while waiting for the phone call (she’s my emergency contact) she dug through her desk and found the paperwork she needs to get me transferred out of hillbilly hell and down to Atlanta where the real ER doctors work. For those of you who have been reading me a while you know I’m not being rude, but in case you need refreshers see here and here.

I guess that’s it for now. Critter should have gone to lunch an hour ago and still hasn’t called. Big surprise there.