Today I've mostly bin...

[gill216]

Tricia, I dont know much about Bt - and I'm sure someone will put this right if I'm talking rubbish- but if you have a new laptop they are usually already "wireless" ready. Cant you just connect to your BT broadband by switching on your built in wireless on your lap top and entering your BT password?.

I you do need a router I have a Belkin spare that you can have FOC if you want it.

Just say the word and I'll post it tomorrow.

PS If tricia doesn't want it anyone else can have it.

[eirian]

We've got BT and my laptop found it without any problems. All new laptops are wireless enabled automatically I think and mine just needed the code from the back of the hub to start working (although my wireless card doesn't seem to work anymore, so I've got a cr@p Netgear USB card sticking out of the side of my laptop instead).
I use my laptop downstairs mainly, and the hub is upstairs next to Sigur's PC (as that isn't wireless and needs the cable). Don't have many issues with connection at all. Mine are usually just because the Netgear card has overheated...

Oh, and a friend of mine has recently told me that the reason I've started having performance issues with my laptop is that the processor isheld in place by a gel that hardens when your laptop overheats (eg becauseyou've had it directly on your lap/table), so the best way of ensuring longer usage is to invalidate the warranty , take the back of your laptop and replace the cheapo gel the manufacturers use with a decent one that won't harden. No idea how true this is, but I've no real reason to disbelieve him.

Hope it's all working soon!

[strep98]

WE have a BT hub and 2 lap tops work off it as well as my computer (one in sons room upstairs) they work fine, but OH's stopped working for a while as ne uninstalled the Norton virus thingy (as soon as he put it back on it worked again, magic )

[Bunnylump]

...making my Mum's day.
The last time my mum was really chuffed was when she got an honourable mention in the Puzzlebrains mag as a test solver (she can't do any of the puzzles which require research - she doesn't have a computer - but she's a real whizz at cryptics and codewords).

But today, well. My son was doing some research on the internet on the Jstor scientific papers, which university bods can access. He suddenly spotted a familiar name. It turned out that 4 papers my mum had written in 1949 (about thrilling things like Ecoli - she was a bacteriologist) are not only still in use, but are referenced and have been cited 6 times in recent research work!!

I took my laptop round to her and showed it to her this afternoon. Needless to say she delighted in telling me lots of intricate details about sifting poo in the river Thames which I've heard and felt sick about at least 3 million times before. BUT she was glowing with pride, SOOO chuffed that even after 61 years, her work is still in use. She'll probably be ringing round all her cronies as we speak to tell them. How cool is that?

[chazzie]

That's fantastic Bunny

Your Mum must be so chuffed

[Bunnylump]

I'm really pleased for her. She doesn't lead much of a life these days - she lives on her own and can't get out much (she can't walk further than about 10 yards) and is 85. I think people tend to dismiss her as "some sad old lady who feeds lots of cats". But her mind is still truly impressive and although she has no people skills or common sense (typical academic) she's still very sharp with her understanding and knowledge. Apart from anything else, this will give her another topic of conversation for a while (which is a blessing).

And yes, I got my brains (or lack thereof) from my dad, before you say anything.

[LAT]

That's amazing Bunny! How wonderful for your Mum and I bet your son was pretty pleased too.

I reckon a clever family all round.

[MBH]

Fantastic find Bunny - and I'm really pleased for her. With the Internet the way it is about holding on to old stuff - that could be considered a type of imortallity.

I've talked with a couple of 'serious academics' this past couple of years, and know what you mean about the people skills. You'll have got your brains from her, but I'm guessing your Dad was a lot of FUN

[Bunnylump]

My Dad always says that it's a good job I got my looks from him and my brains from my mum, because otherwise I'd have been a total disaster!!! Sadly, I suspect the latter is true...

[MBH]

Ah - so he's good looking as well as fun. That's good to know

[SparkOut]

...so the best way of ensuring longer usage is to invalidate the warranty , take the back of your laptop and replace the cheapo gel the manufacturers use with a decent one that won't harden. No idea how true this is, but I've no real reason to disbelieve him...

Well, it's certainly one way to help extend life, but "best" is relative! It's not a trivial job for someone who doesn't know what they're doing.
A simple idea is to give your laptop "high heels" - ie put extra rubber foot pads on the bottom of it, to give it a higher clearance of the table top so that more air can circulate, keeping it cooler. And although they are popularly called "laptops" - as you will probably know from burnt thighs - they aren't really suited to putting directly on your lap, so use a tray or smooth flat board rather than plonking it on a cushion, or the duvet if in bed. Soft squashy things like that will block all the vents and insulate the heat from dissipating, and make the overheating problem worse.

[giraffe]

Yippee! Just heard Lally has got into her first choice school (Kingsley and Wulfruna's school)

The email informing me of this says:

Council confirm that your child, $pupil.forename, has been allocated a place at

Strange, I don't remember naming my child $pupil.forename

They must have Bunnylump in charge of their mailmerge!

[LAT]

Hurray! Congrats to Spupil.forname!

[Bunnylump]

Yippee! Just heard Lally has got into her first choice school (Kingsley and Wulfruna's school)

The email informing me of this says:

Council confirm that your child, $pupil.forename, has been allocated a place at

Strange, I don't remember naming my child $pupil.forename

They must have Bunnylump in charge of their mailmerge!

Yes!! Brilliant news, Giraffe! I'm so pleased for you both. You can breathe again now!!

They must have Bunnylump in charge of their mailmerge!

If that was the case it would have been HANDWRITTEN. (But then, since my handwriting is SO dreadful, you might have thought it said $pupil forename...

[MBH]

Well Done. Glad you got your 'result'

I'm sure that Spupil.mum-status = "Very Happy"

From what I've seen and read from Kingsley (and read from Wulfruna), little Lally should turn out very well.

[giraffe]

Lally is delighted, mainly because she knows which school she will be at. The not knowing was getting to her a bit and from my point of view it simplifies things a bit as I will only have two sets of term dates etc.to cope with.

[Bunnylump]

That "not knowing" bit is the worst part. It's really unsettling for children. She does have to live up to the high standards already set, though...

[giraffe]

They are a hard act to follow, but someone who had taught them all told me she was the brightest of the three. Stropiest I could believe.

[LAT]

Yes, hard to be the younger/youngest. When my daughter did really well in both GCSEs and A'levels my son's reaction was "no pressure then! "
I was lucky in that I am several years younger than both my sisters so as we moved house a couple of times I never had the same teachers as them.

[tricia]

that's great news giraffe - it must have been a stressfull time.

Just to let you know - I have now succesfully set up my wireless router and now i can successfully use my laptop - don't quite know how I did it - but there we are - I can now puzzle without freezing. Thanks for all your advie

Tricia