I opened up my Chromebook, which is normally sensitive and able to pick up the WI-Fi signal anywhere in the house. I noticed the icon showed only two rings of signal. Lynn has a rule of thumb: less than three and things won't work. I tried anyhow. "Not available" - right Gmail, with 1 billion users, is not available. I use Google, I use Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Calendar, Google Contacts. My lovely Google, watching and memorializing my every move, selling my name and fame to Big Corp - can't be down!
Must be my carrier. That company is large but still, they may be having trouble. Christmas is on Wednesday this year. Today is Monday and the local kids are home, not in school. It is probably bandwidth. Every kid in every school in every grade is on the local servers. I bet that's it.
Maybe the signal is better in another part of the house. I moved to another part of the house - no dice. My carrier is big on using algorithms and robotic assistants. I have called enough times to know that I am often told to re-start my modem. Not simply turn it off. Turn it and the router completely off. Wait 60 seconds, Start up the modem with the router off. Wait until all the lights on the modem are on. Then, turn on the router.
Ok, there is the modem. Now, to turn it off. Wait, no lights on the modem. How can I turn it off if it is already off? That's odd. There should be some lights and a cord I can disconnect. There is the socket for the power cord but there is no cord. What the heck? There is the power cord, the socket end lying on the floor. Aha! Dusting around it knocked power off. The power cord is not connected. Not the local kids, not the carrier, Me! I killed my wi-fi.
Turn off the router, re-connect the modem's power, wait for the lights indicating the cable signal has been found and connected. Turn on the router. Yay! Full internet!
