and the phone doesn't work again

We had a ml of rain last night. Enough to make it muggy and make the phone line change from static and working to snow and not. The ADSL is still working though.

a blow by blow account....

Actually, probably not - since we were online doing hall of mirrors instance in LOTRO for 3 hours and still didn't get to the end. We gave up when we all died at 10:30pm and had to run a very long way back through to get to the "just before the big boss" area.

I did discover that 3x lvl 60 characters can, with the appropriate mix and tactics, kill 2 nasty rehealing wargs and then a boss with over 100 000 hit points. When we eventually got close to the big boss, the morrovail kept repopping and since they had an instideath thing after 45 sec, it was hard to take them out quickly enough to not die as well as have time to figure out the next step. I've got to the point where if the creature has less than 11000hp, its considered easy. At least in a group with a loremaster.

I think we'll have to start from scratch next time...perhaps when we have a longer free time to go through it.

problems briefly fixed

P1
The guy came round, looked at the phone - discovered I'd plugged the network port into the phone line which had caused the complete silence (woops - since taped over that connection). Couldn't find any static, said it might be one of my plugs being old and a little dodgy connection wise.....they'll probably send me a bill since they found the plug in the wrong port)
Static came back the next day - replaced all of my line filters and splitters, static still there. Will call my brother before calling Telstra again I think.

P2
Opened up the computer, swapped the ram around, prodded the connections - issue went away. Until I'd had the computer on all Sunday afternoon, where I got a BSOD and then a brief freeze with audio loop. I also had a new issue which was actual lag I think - though possibly it was the freeze screen. It killed Bindy.
I'll have another open up and prod. I may have to run the computer with the side off, or move it to somewhere I can blast a fan on it full time. I could tape net curtain over the side - or fly screen - and let a fan blow in...I could buy and install airconditioning I guess too.

problem fixed..errm

I checked all my cables - even when all switched off and filter/no filter on single lines I still had static. I rang telstra, they were having an upgrade, could I ring tomorrow. I rang tomorrow, They organised to send out a tech - in 2-4 days and diverted incoming calls to my mums mobile...outgoing should still work but be staticy still.

Then the phones stopped working entirely no static, no dial tone - the incoming divert worked but we have no outgoing - oh, and no internet. Now telstra have got us booked in for a tech in 2 days.

Soo - no good way to work on my second computer based problem yet. Also, no game playing.

problem solving

I actually enjoy problem solving - if I have some free time. Even if not, I can waste hours trying to figure out solutions to things for other people. I know I shouldn't because my work doesn't get done, but it is so much fun.

I do have some of my own trouble shoots to do at the moment.

1. Static on phone. Is it because;
a) I churned to a new provider
b) there's a fault turned up on the line
c) the dvd player I in put in the parents room is interfering with the phone base

2. Dedunk dedunk noise on my computer, matched with brief thinking by the computer which slows things down on the desktop and freezes the screen in lotro if I'm playing (also causing audio looping) for about 10 sec - mouse still works. I need to;
a) remove everything that plugs in via usb and turn on computer - see if it happens again
b) open computer and check all my connections are tight
c) try to track down some of the alert thingies on my event viewer
d) do more online reading
e) look for viruses, spyware etc
f) look at my router settings -I did some fiddling when I churned - but I think I already had the issue then

I've already done a checkdisk - its not that. Used canned air on all my USB ports - still happens.

Some of the comments on the event viewer are about non-existant registry or DLL files, but there don't seem to be enough events to match to the frequency of the dedunks

ok - must go and do real work (ie marking) now

pics at last

Here are my new Champions online characters
- Dark Lightning



Precious Horde (who I team up with A&C's Dragons to fight for justice for the soft skins.


Hawk Blade - physically my strongest character - she lifts trucks over her head and throws them



and Tiffany, my gadgeteer. I wanted a completely human looking character. Apparently a good fighting match for Normal Man...who looks suspiciously like Chris dressed up.