KISS Principle: Good Tech Advice - Keep it Simple

A conversation with my Bo-Dickey inventor/satellite guru Sam Conwell the other day brought back memories of columns I have penned several times over the years. He was lamenting the fact that he had to drive all the way to a customers house out in the hinterlands because the family's satellite system quit working following a recent spate of storms.

Sam said that he did the usual phone tech support (is it turned on .. that sort of thing) and was unable to fix the problem. He got into his truck and drove the miles because the customer was really anxious not to miss an important show. When he arrived the standard troubleshooting didn't find any problems, but the receiver still didn't work correctly.

Like a doctor, Sam said he knew there had to be a simple explanation for the symptoms and finally, the customer said that his power went off and on several times and there had been a lot of lightning in the area during the storms.

"I wish you had told me that before, we could have saved a lot of time," he said. Sam walked over and unplugged the power to the receiver and switch, which is a small computer, waited about a minute, plugged it back in. As if by magic, all was working again.

My point to recounting this story is one I have made many times: If your computer or other electronic equipment starts acting funky, before trying extraordinary troubleshooting methods KISS the problem first. For you newbies (I haven't used that word in a while) out there, KISS means "keep it simple, stupid."

Unplug the device(s) from the power source for at least a minute. This allows a system to bleed off any residual power and settings that may be in registers, switches or other hardware. Just turning off the power switch is not enough because in most systems that just puts the unit into a state of standby and it keeps a small current to critical circuits so your computer will boot faster and remember settings.

I also found that when my cable broadband connection slows down if I do the power recycle thing, speeds pick up.

As more of us make the switch from the hell of dialup to the deliverance of broadband, our lives become burdened with more computer-based devices. They include cable modems, routers, wireless access points, MP3 players, DVD burners and the like. Computers are present in almost all our major appliances now, and of course, our vehicles.

Sometimes out broadband connections slow down. Guess what one of the first things tech support tells you to do? Yep - unplug the power. Sometimes that fixes the problem, if not then we unplug the computer, and if you have a switch and/or router in line, those get power cycled also. It can be a real drag when all of those devices are in another room or tucked away behind a desk or counter.

I have a very easy way to reset all of those devices at once, or one at a time if needed, from the convenience of your desk or anywhere in the house. Invest in a simple X-10 system that controls devices by sending signals through a power line. Each device has a code and it's a simple matter to push a button and turn off the cable modem or the router and then turn them back on again. In a way using an X-10 system is better because there is no wear and tear on the power connectors.