TROUBLESHOOTING AND TECH-SUPPORT ANNOYANCES

LIGHTS FLASH DURING COMMUNICATION

The Annoyance:

When I move a group of files between computers, sometimes I'm not sure the computers are actually communicating. Isn't there some way to tell?

The Fix:

Follow the flashing lights. Most network hardware comes with LEDs that glow or flash, depending on what's going on. Usually a steady green light means that all connections are working properly, and a flashing green light indicates data exchanges between computers. If you look at your hub or switch and see two flashing green lights, those two computers are talking to each other.

If you use Windows 2000 or XP, you can put an icon for your network adapter on the taskbar. The icon looks like a monitor, and when the computer is communicating over the network, the monitor color changes from black to green. To add the icon to your taskbar, open the Network Connections applet in the Control Panel, right-click Local Area Connection, and choose Properties. On the General tab, check the "Show icon in notification area when connected" box.

THE HARDWARE TROUBLESHOOTING DRILL

Computer professionals have a set of procedures they follow when faced with an apparent hardware failure. These procedures, designed to make hardware troubleshooting efficient in a large corporate computer environment, work just as well in a small home network.

INTERPRETING THE COLORS OF LIGHTS

The Annoyance:

Three of the ports on my hub have a yellow light, but one port doesn't. The computers all seem to be communicating properly, and everyone is getting to the Internet through the router attached to the hub. Why is one yellow light missing? Is it a sign of impending doom?

The Fix:

A yellow light, available on some hubs, switches, and routers, indicates that the port is operating at 100 mps. The port missing the yellow light is connected to a computer that has a 10mps network adapter. (The ports on your hub are autosensing, which means they automatically determine the speed of your network adapter and communicate with that adapter at that speed.) If you want to see a yellow light, replace the older adapter with a new 100mps device.

USING A KNOWLEDGE BASE

The Annoyance:

After I fill out the Search text box in a knowledge base web page, I get so many articles listed that it would take days to read all of them. Sometimes, the article titles seem to have no relationship to my problem.

The Fix:

A knowledge base is a database, indexed by all the important words in each article (which means that words such as "the" and "and" aren't in the index). To use the knowledge base search engine efficiently, type a series of words that describe the problem. For example, enter flashing and green. Most of the time you can't tell how the search engine is programmed, and there's a real difference between assuming "or" and assuming "and."

• A search engine programmed to assume "or" will show you every article with the word flashing and every article with the word green.

• A search engine programmed to assume "and" will show you every article that has both words.

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Tip: When you work with a search engine, you can also use a plus sign (+) to indicate the word "and."

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To ensure you get articles that include all your words, insert the word "and" in the text box that accepts your search termse.g., "flashing and green".

If you want to search for an exact phrase, such as "unable to connect," enclose the phrase in quotation marks. This tells the search engine to find those words in that order.

RETURNING BROKEN EQUIPMENT

The Annoyance:

My router stopped working shortly after I installed it. I changed the cables into both LAN ports, which didn't help. I changed the cable between the router and the DSL modem, which didn't help either. If I connect the DSL modem directly to one of the computers, that computer can get to the Internet. Obviously, it's the router. I called the manufacturer's support line to find out how to return the router, and they insisted on wasting my time running tests and turning the router on and off. Then, they told me to take the router back to the store where I bought it. The store says they're not an official repair site for this manufacturer, so they can't test or fix the router, and they won't take it back without charging me a restocking fee.

The Fix:

The usual rule of thumb is that returns go to the seller, not the manufacturer (unless you bought the product directly from the manufacturer's online sales web site). When you bought the device, the sales receipt probably had the "rules for returns" (frequently in very small type).

A restocking charge is technically the cost of repacking the device correctly so that it can be put back into stock and sold to another user (scary, huh; you know the device is broken). Some stores put returned, restocked items on sale, and advertise the fact that the product was returned. Many retailers, both brick-and-mortar and online, don't have a restocking charge. Those are the retailers to use from now on.

USER FORUMS FOR TIPS, TRICKS, AND WARNINGS

The Internet is filled with web sites designed for user-to-user communication (usually called user forums). These sites are run as a courtesy to users, and are usually not sponsored by manufacturers. You can find user forums for your hardware manufacturer by going to your favorite search engine and entering the phrase "manufacturer and user and forum" (substitute the name of your manufacturer).

Many of the participants who answer user questions or complaints aren't experts, so take advice with a grain of salt. However, you'll find that some user advice includes addresses for web sites that are extremely helpful, and that you may not have found on your own.

You'll also find warnings about faults or annoyances in products, along with reports of what happened when the user who's writing the message called the manufacturer. You might find that magic phrase that gets you free help, or a way to return a product without aggravation or a restocking charge.

RETURNING WORKING EQUIPMENT

The Annoyance:

I want to buy a hardware print server, but some friends have told me I probably won't like it. Other friends use them and think they're great. Are there places to buy computer equipment that will take the stuff back if I just change my mind?

The Fix:

Yes, a number of computer retailers are willing to take back equipment that's working, as long as you return it within a short time. A week is a short time, two months is not a short time. The only way to tell which retailers have this policy is to ask the question, or search their web sites for information about return policies. Look for a link to Customer Support, or Return Policy, to find the terms of sales and returns.