RE: Wifi

["LOwens" <owens@netptc.net>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Litt of Troubleshooters.Com [mailto:littdom@gmail.com] 
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2014 10:40 PM
To: debian-user@lists.debian.org
Subject: Re: Wifi

On Sat, 08 Mar 2014 23:35:26 -0600
Stan Hoeppner <stan@hardwarefreak.com> wrote:

> On 3/8/2014 10:02 PM, Tom Furie wrote:
> > On Sat, Mar 08, 2014 at 09:51:52PM -0600, Stan Hoeppner wrote:
> >> On 3/8/2014 2:18 PM, Patrick Alouidor wrote:
> >>> Hello all. I'm not sure if it me but I have a fresh install of 
> >>> Debian 7 on laptop Toshiba C-55A5310. and For some reason I cannot 
> >>> enable my wifi switch. I have been pressing the F keys but no 
> >>> luck. please This is my first Laptop ever and I wanted to put 
> >>> something stable on it and now I cannot get my wifi to turn on.
> >>> My I please get some form of assistance on wifi.
> > 
> >> You mention a "wifi switch".  There is no such thing.  The laptop 
> >> has a "wireless ethernet adapter" usually of the 802.11 a/b/g/n 
> >> standard.  It will "connect" to a "wireless router" or "wireless 
> >> access point".
> > 
> > Given the context I would surmise that "wifi switch" means a switch 
> > on the laptop to enable/disable the wireless adapter, whether that 
> > be an actual switch, button, or key-combo.
> 
> I would surmise his "wifi switch" is his wifi enabled cable/DSL router 
> that also has an inbuilt 4 port fast Ethernet or GbE switch, stated in 
> big bold letters on the box, prompting him to call it a "wifi switch".
> Is your guess right or mine?
> 
> He didn't mention WEP/WAP key setup or any other manual configuration 
> steps/issues, which leads me to, again, guess, that he's trying to do 
> WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) auto configuration.  So maybe by "wifi 
> switch" he means the WPS button on the WiFi router.  And maybe Network 
> Manager/WICD use the function keys to initiate WPS auto negotiation.
> I never do "auto" anything so again this is a guess.  And I'd guess 
> based on his post that WPS is exactly what he's attempting.
> 
> The whole point of my post was to eliminate the guessing and get right 
> to helping the guy at the technical level, or lack thereof, which he 
> requires.  It's pretty clear from his lack of correct terminology and 
> technical details, no initial troubleshooting performed by him, that 
> he's a total nub.  All of the replies to this point, but mine, assume 
> he knows how to get a bash shell to run commands and perform other 
> common tasks.  He may not even know that much.  In fact, given he 
> assumes everyone knows why he's punching the function keys, it's 
> pretty certain he's a nub.  And that's fine.  But we need to know his 
> knowledge level in order to best assist him.

Stan,

You mention the whole point of your post was to eliminate the guessing.
You then assume, based on the original poster's generic one paragraph post,
that he's a "total nub". Personally, I call that guessing. On your part.

In an earlier post, you state that there is no such thing as a "wifi
switch". I'd call that a guess, and a wrong one, because one of my old
laptops, I think my 2006 Acer, has a physical switch with which I can enable
or disable Wifi. Perhaps I'll post a photo of the switch.

You state "All of the replies to this point, but mine, assume he knows how
to get a bash shell to run commands and perform other common tasks.  He may
not even know that much.  In fact, given he assumes everyone knows why he's
punching the function keys, it's pretty certain he's a nub." Another wrong
guess Stan: See this:

http://forums.speedguide.net/showthread.php?214308-How-to-turn-on-off-Wirele
ss-in-various-Laptop-Models

I could go on and on, but my saying you're a nub, and a mean one at that, is
no better for this list than your treatment of the original poster.


Everyone,

Doesn't it seem that, on every list and IRC channel, there's always that
guy? The defender of the perfect symptom description, who has completely
memorized every portion of "How To Ask Questions The Smart Way"
except for the portion on how to answer questions in a helpful way.
The vigilante who just has to jump on every less than perfectly clued-in
post and insult the guy. I'm not talking about insulting the dweeb who asks,
then doesn't even read the answers, and asks again. I'm not talking about
insulting the guy asking the question that a two minute web search can find
the answer to. I'm talking about the guy who insults people like the
original poster, whose symptom description wasn't all that bad, at least for
a first stab at it. A symptom description that others felt was good enough
to suggest diagnostic processes.

The angry and insulting behavior of the defenders of the perfect symptom
description does nothing but cut down on technical communication, raise the
noise level, and often raise the heat level.
Why do that? I mean really, is it too much to ask that these guys simply
ignore posts they think are bogus? Or if the thread bothers them, filter the
thread? The list will be better for it.


To the original poster:

In the words of Jonathan Dowland, who posted this on debian-users
yesterday:

"Don't be afraid to ask any questions. Ignore any useless answers."

SteveT

Steve et al
I have a somewhat elderly Sony Vaio lappy with a Wi_Fi switch on the side
which enables/disables WiFi.  The switch is a bit touchy and often must be
toggled several times before WiFi is enabled.
Larry

Steve Litt                *  http://www.troubleshooters.com/
Troubleshooting Training  *  Human Performance


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