I woke up at 8.30am, got up, had a shower.

While I was in the shower, someone tried to call. I waited around for my message service to call back, it finally called a few minutes after I should have left.

It was the guy from the seniors centre where I was going this morning, he wanted to speak to me, but said he wouldn't be home until after 3pm.

I left, went to the seniors centre. I went in and saw the lady who wanted me to fix their internet.

It's a stupid telstra setup, the adsl router doesn't actually do anything, or have any configuration. The connection is established by a dopey pppoe client running on one of the client PCs.

I thought this would be easy, just a problem like last time, where the network card was disabled. No such luck.

Whenever they tried to connect the PPPoE client, it would just complain that the username and password were invalid.

They had tried calling the telco, they had said there was no problem on their end, and refuse to help them when they tell them that the connection is networked, but for what it's worth, the connection is not networked, because only one pc has the PPPoE client on it.

I fiddled around for ages, and it just kept saying the password was wrong. It was coming back and saying that very quickly, which didn't seem right to me.

I tried resetting the router, that made no difference.

I tried to setup a connection on the router itself properly, instead of using this dopey PPPoE client, but I couldn't find how to configure a connection.

I telnetted into the router, but even then, there was no obvious way to configure a connection.

I tried downloading the settings from the router, to see if there was something in there I could change, and then load the settings back in, but I couldn't find anything.

In desperation, I tried factory resetting the router a couple of times, again, no difference.

My phone rang, it was one of the women from the college where I'll be setting up the network shortly. They wanted to know about adsl providers, and whether they should just migrate to adsl from dialup with the provider they were already with, to avoid paying for email redirections. I asked the details of the plan they wanted to go on, 256k, $50/month, shaped after they use a certain amount (she didn't tell me how much however). It's about the same as the other guy, and it makes no difference to me, since I wasn't going to be getting anything out of it anyway.

She told me about the router they wanted to provide, a Dlink piece of nastiness. I said they should get an NB1300 instead, we chatted for a bit, and in the end I said I would sort that out, hoping I can get it from the place down the freeway at wholesale price. We went on about filters a bit, and I said that if I was sorting the router out, they probably would not provide the filters anyway.

I got off the phone and got back to fixing the adsl.

I created a new PPPoE "dialup" connection on the client PC, put the settings in, bang, it connected first go. The DUN "connectoid" or whatever they are called must have become corrupt.

I was asked to look at another pc they had their, that they were having trouble with. I booted it up, it took forever to boot up, it was insane. I tried to log in, it wouldn't login, (or it was going to take a week). I also noticed the keyboard didn't work.

When I investigated, I found the keyboard in the mouse port. I moved it, it didn't start working.

I reset the machine, it was halfway through booting windows (2000), and it BSOD'd. Something about "inaccessable boot device" and "unable to run chkdsk /f". I tried to reset the machine again, even the reset wouldn't work. I turned the machine off. I took the case off, and listened to the hard disk while it booted, it was making a very repetitive sound as it booted, and again while windows was trying to log in. I would say the hard disk has damage/issues, and it's stopping the machine from working normally, because it's spending so much time retrying reading files.

I said I could replace the hard disk for them, and they said they would think about it.

The woman asked me to setup the internet on the other pcs. Hmm, it should just work, seeing as they are configured for dhcp, and are getting their network settings from the router, but no, they did not work.

It wasn't just dns issues either, the traffic wouldn't even go through from other pc (without the dopey PPPoE client), even by IP address.

I configured internet connection sharing on the pc with the PPPoE client on it. Someone had already tried to do it, but had shared the wrong connection, the network card, instead of the PPPoE client connection.

I went back to the other PC, still no traffic (by IP).

The phone rang again, it was the woman from the college again, she wanted to know which telephone line to have the service provisioned on. I told her that it doesn't matter, but it's probably better to have it connected to the line that goes to the phone in the office down there, then only one filter is needed, for the phone, and the router will be in where I am going to install the switch.

I went back to fiddling, still no good.

The woman rang me back again. I'm not sure what this call was for, I think it was to tell me that it was arranged, and would be done in about 10 days. I told her to tell the other woman that I had the SP3 CD she needed, and she could pick it up whenever (to allow Office to be installed on the PC I fixed recently).

I still could not get the connection working. This is dumb, it should jsut work. It's going to the PC with the PPPoE client on it, and being NATted across the connection. What's the problem?

I went back to the machine with the PPPoE client. I disconnected the PPPoE connection, I disable the network card, I reenabled the network card, and reconnected the PPPoE connection.

I went back to the other PC. Oh look, it works. What a surprise. Thanks Windows, never failing to be extra useful.

I got the DNS server settings off the PPPoE client machine, put them into the other pc, and it started working fully.

I then setup the other pc they move out to the front desk, it worked fine.

The woman asked me if the printer they have could be used on all PCs, so I went about setting that up. Should be easy..

Went to share it, it was already shared.

Went to the first client pc, it couldn't see the other machine on the network, it kept going on about "network is not present or not started". I looked in the properties of the network card. No "Client for Microsoft Networks" in here.

I installed it, it could then see the other pc, so I installed the shared printer.

Went to the machine outside, installed the shared printer, no pain.

I was all done.

It was now about 11.30am.

She asked me what I would be doing fopr payment, and if I was going to invoice them. I suppose I should, they're a council organisation or something, so they would probably want to do things properly. I'll have to work out if the "Trading as" or whatever has been setup, so I can invoice them.

I said I had been called up by someone from the computer club, and the woman told me they were in there now. Oh, I didn't think they were there. I went and stuck my head in there, they were near finishing up.

There was a guy in there I haven't seen there before, he's a guy from the computer club I used to go to years ago.

We chatted for a bit.

They were working on one last machine, the network would not work.

I removed all the adapters, rebooted. It didn't detect one (but the BIOS did).

I pulled the cover off the machine, pulled the card out, checked it. Should work.

Put it back in, booted up. Didn't detect it. I looked in Device Mangler, and there was an "Other Device" listed, the network card.

I did a "Reinstall driver" on it, and it loaded it. Rebooted, and it worked.

We put the machine back together.

They have a machine with a dodgy rj45 end. I didn't have my crimping tool, so I couldn't fix it. I said I might come and fix it next week. I'll have to go there and invoice the other people anyway, seeing as I don't know what they are called, or their contact details.

I told them about the email that had been sent out, they checked, but they hadn't received it.

We chatted a bit more, and then we all left.

I rode to see the guy who's colo I'm going into. Had a chat with him for a bit, got a list of the live IPs I can use.

I told him the software I'm using, and we had a chat about that, and also about the RAS, I'll put in the Tigris I've got here.

He said he was going over to the colo today, and would get the key cut for me.

I'll arrange to pick it up tomorrow or something, and maybe put the gear in on Saturday afternoon or Sunday.

I meant to ask his price on an NB1300 (he had the box on the shelf in the shop) but I forgot.

I took off, got some fuel.

I rode back towards my mate's place, where my bike is that I need to fix.

I stopped in at McDonalds on the way, and got some lunch, and read the paper.

I rode to my mate's place. I got the key and the rego paper out of the letterbox.

I pulled the bike out, and had a go of starting it. It just wouldn't fire, no matter how much it turned over.

After a few cranks, the battery wasn't really happy, and instead of trying to turn over, it just buzzed.

I started trying to clutch start it on the spot, after a bit, I got a single bit of a fire out of it, but because I wasn't working the clutch properly (not expecting it to work) it didn't have a chance of running.

I gave up, and decided to check a few things. I think the fuel has probably died, it's been in there for about 6 months.

I need something to drain the tank into. I checked the garage, my mate had left it unlocked for once.

I found a big jerry can, carried it out, pulled the hose off the fuel filter, and put it into the jerry can, and drained almost the whole tank. It was nearly a full tank.

I took the tank off the bike, swished it round a bit, there is a lot of sediment in the bottom.

I unscrewed the bit where the hoses come out of the tank to the tap. I poured what has left of the fuel out.

I put it back together. I thought maybe the spark plugs were stuffed, I have no idea when I last changed them, probably like 18 months ago. I found a spark plug tool that fit (they are a different size to the ones in the 650), took them out. They were all black and crappy looking.

I took the battery out of the bike, there was all water or something all over it, and in the compartment where it sits, it drained out the little hole in the bottom. It didn't have much smell, but my hands had petrol all over them from draining the tank, so I couldn't easily have smelled whatever the liquid in the battery compartment was anyway.

As I moved the battery around a bit, a little bit of liquid came out of it (battery acid I assume) and when it dripped on the driveway, it fizzed a bit.

I took the battery inside, and put it on charge.

I pushed the bike into the garage, and moved the seat/tank/other bits inside.

I shut the door, jumped on my bike, and went around to the nearby bike place.

I told them I was having trouble starting the bike, that I thought it was the fuel, but that the spark plugs didn't look great either. I showed them, they didn't say much about them, but said I should dump all the fuel, replace it with new stuff, (since apparently it goes off after a couple of weeks, this stuff has been in there like 6 months), put new spark plugs in, and it should just go.

I bought 2 new plugs. I went back to my mate's place.

I put the new plugs in. I took about 1.5L of fuel out of my 650, (in a 2.3L big container, the only thing I could find) and then had to find a way to pour it into the tank of the 250 without spilling it everywhere.

I put a funnel into the tank, but it's not going to help with pouring out of the container. There were some plastic cups hanging around. I used one, and it immediately started melting as I went to pour it's contents into the funnel. It went like superglue, and stuck to my fingers. Ah, this plastic must be like the plastic used for polystyrene, that petrol just eats, and becomes sticky. There must be something else. I can't find anything else, and then I still have the problem of trying to pour it out of the container.

I started pouring it into the funnel, spilled a bit. Had a think about it, tried again, and found a tricky way where I could slowly pour it, most of it would pour off the lip into the funnel, and the bit that wanted to run down and off the container, I managed to position so the funnel caught almost all of it.

I used a cloth and cleaned up the bit that spilled.

I put the battery back in the bike, it had had about 1/2 hour of charge, probably won't make much difference however.

I turned the key on, immediately I noticed the headlight was a ton brighter.

I gave the throttle a couple of cranks, hit the start button, and the thing fired up first go.

The idle screw was up way too far, and the choke was on way too far (I never needed to use the choke on this bike), so I fixed those, and had it purring away.

I put the stead back on, checked everything, and got ready to go.

I turned it off, left it.

I came home, found the paper work I needed, rego/insurance/last inspection etc.

I went back, jumped on the 250. I got it out of the garage, and shut the garage again.

I rode it down the driveway. D'oh, there were a couple of cute chicks there, typical, when I'm riding this piddly little bike, instead of my 650. Even worse, the controls are in a slightly different position, so as I took off, and went to turn the blinker off, I accidently pressed the horn instead.

Ugh, I didn't look back.

I rode down to the service station, the bike didn't run too bad at all.

Damn, there was far too many people at the servo. Every bowser was full, and had someone waiting.

I found a spot to wait, took off my helmet after a couple of minutes, and chucked it on the back rest. I turned the bike off after another couple of minutes.

I finally got to the bowser after waiting about 10 minutes.

The guy on the next bowser made some smartarse comment about needing to refuel before you'd even left, having to wait that long.

I put $5.50 worth of fuel in, was trying to put $5, but it went to $5.01, and I hate that stuff.

I went in, got in the line. I don't know what the hold up was, because everyone in here was just getting in, paying exact money (or easy change, ie $50 to pay for $30 of fuel) and leaving.

I got on, and rode around to the place where you get blue slips done, it was now just after 4pm.

A guy came wandering out, I told him I needed the slip done, he looked at the rego paper, checked the details on the bike, that they matched. Then he looked at the bike, got me to test all the lights, blinkers, brake lights, headlight, horn etc, and said it was fine. He wrote the blue slip out.

He sent me over to the office to pay, cause the guy in there wanted to go home, I paid, and wandered back. The guy gave me the papers, and I left.

I rode back to my mate's place, and dropped off the bike. Weird. The garage is open. My mate isn't here. Hmm. I just dropped off the bike, and closed the door again. I know I closed it when I left.

I looked at the paper work. I need to renew the insurance now, then I can restart the rego on the bike.

I rode my 650 into Gosford, to go to the bank where I can pay for the insurance. It was getting close to 5pm, and I didn't have much time. I thought I had probably missed the working hours.

I missed gettng a parking spot, so I went around the block, found one, raced up to the bank (now about 4.57pm) and found that they close at 4pm on Thursday. Doh. So I came home.

I had just got in the door, when my mate I go to dinner with called me. We chatted for a bit, and he told me that he's got lots of people that want to sign up, and I said I should be getting something done over the weekend. It just depends on how long it takes me to build the webserver, and configure the RAS now. Maybe I can even test the radius.. oh, no, I can't, the tigris only has digital incoming lines, no analog, so I can't play around trying to connect a modem back to back with it.