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Post by kharnynb on Jan 8, 2014 10:26:50 GMT
One of my late christmas gifts got me going again...
Why do garments, especially undergarment and pajamas have to have huge nasty labels that are hard to remove without damaging the clothes.....
Can't they just use a damn sticker?
Anyway, one of my pet peeves.
What are yours?
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Post by silverdragon on Jan 8, 2014 11:03:32 GMT
Shop assistants who go over the top trying to 'help' you..... When in fact they are trying to steer you towards the most expensive part of the shop.... I suspect they are on commission.
I just went in for a couple of work shirts, no, I dont want the jacket that goes with them, nor do I need Trousers, or shoes...................
Do I LOOK like a person who would wear that?.... Seriously?....
"These are this months biggest sellers..."
My Style is NOT fashion victim. I do NOT do fashion at all. If everyone else has them, you can be certain, I do NOT want them. I am anti-fashion. I especially have great hate for clothes that go out-of-fashion that clog up wardrobes. Check shirt and Jeans.... Never been fashionable, are timeless, clean, utilitarian, easy cleaning in a washing machine, no special care needed, and if you rip a hole in your shirt, you dont care that much, you can get a replacement for less than the cost of a [fashionable-chain-] coffee.... Mine have become bleached with wear, but still come clean, and when washed and dried, I can get the creases out overnight by putting them under the mattress....
I go for comfort and utilitarian, but affordable. Preferably clean and smart....But if I want a Label, I would get a job as a security officer?... There are certain places I work for that have a Uniform code, I adhere to that, I will even wear their identification badges, but that is Uniform, its not fashion is it?.... The reason I am wearing a "Spray-away" coat is because they are one of the most reliable Goretex rain coats I have ever worn.... and this one was on Discount in a sale. The fact it has the spray-away name on it is incidental. I didnt buy it for the "Badge".
I may be able to get half a dozen good smart comfortable cotton shirts for the price you pay for that one with a certain crocodile on it... And mine will actually last longer than that.
Now go give your head a wobble, I can see what I want, and I know where the tills are, so stop trying to waste my time please?...
Pet Peve. Shoe-shopping with my Mum.... I did it once. You all know the story.... six hours traipsing from shop to shop, and to end up back in the first shop, with the very first pair she tried on?....
Apparently, this is common?....
I walk in the shop, spot a pair that looks good, check the price, check they will wear well, check for size, put them on to make sure they fit and are comfortable, and where is the till?.... 20 mins top. Something I do when out shopping anyway is keep an eye on what footwear is being sold... I already know what I would be looking for by the time I get there.
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Post by kharnynb on Jan 8, 2014 11:57:14 GMT
Shoe shopping, there's a finnish company called Sievi, which makes work/decent shoes, they keep pretty much the same base models. 5 seconds + however much the cashier takes to ring them up
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Post by The Urban Mythbuster on Jan 8, 2014 12:17:09 GMT
Shop assistants who go over the top trying to 'help' you..... When in fact they are trying to steer you towards the most expensive part of the shop.... I suspect they are on commission. I just went in for a couple of work shirts, no, I dont want the jacket that goes with them, nor do I need Trousers, or shoes................... Do I LOOK like a person who would wear that?.... Seriously?.... "These are this months biggest sellers..." My Style is NOT fashion victim. I do NOT do fashion at all. If everyone else has them, you can be certain, I do NOT want them. I am anti-fashion. I especially have great hate for clothes that go out-of-fashion that clog up wardrobes. Check shirt and Jeans.... Never been fashionable, are timeless, clean, utilitarian, easy cleaning in a washing machine, no special care needed, and if you rip a hole in your shirt, you dont care that much, you can get a replacement for less than the cost of a [fashionable-chain-] coffee.... Mine have become bleached with wear, but still come clean, and when washed and dried, I can get the creases out overnight by putting them under the mattress.... I go for comfort and utilitarian, but affordable. Preferably clean and smart....But if I want a Label, I would get a job as a security officer?... There are certain places I work for that have a Uniform code, I adhere to that, I will even wear their identification badges, but that is Uniform, its not fashion is it?.... The reason I am wearing a "Spray-away" coat is because they are one of the most reliable Goretex rain coats I have ever worn.... and this one was on Discount in a sale. The fact it has the spray-away name on it is incidental. I didnt buy it for the "Badge". I may be able to get half a dozen good smart comfortable cotton shirts for the price you pay for that one with a certain crocodile on it... And mine will actually last longer than that. Now go give your head a wobble, I can see what I want, and I know where the tills are, so stop trying to waste my time please?... I experience this a lot at the big box electronic stores. I walk in looking for a memory card for my camera and they try to sell me a TV. I have learned that the way to get out of the sales pitch is to walk knowing what I'm looking for and head straight for that department. Only confer with the staff when the item I need is not on the shelf. Last night, went to one such store (Worst Buy) to get a range extender for my home network. The shelves are disheveled, multiple items in the wrong place on the shelves, couldn't find the one I wanted, staff claimed he only had one...settled for a different model and informed the staff member of the empty box I found (whilst putting products in the right places to figure out the correct prices) indicitive of a previous patron stealing the product inside. The wife is the same. It can be any item. Find a great version of the item in the first store and she insists that we keep looking "just in case"...
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Post by Lex Of Sydney Australia on Jan 8, 2014 13:56:34 GMT
Shop assistants who go over the top trying to 'help' you..... When in fact they are trying to steer you towards the most expensive part of the shop.... I suspect they are on commission. I just went in for a couple of work shirts, no, I dont want the jacket that goes with them, nor do I need Trousers, or shoes................... Do I LOOK like a person who would wear that?.... Seriously?.... As someone who works in retail I can explain their actions. Most of the sales staff are on minimum wage not commission. But because of 'company policy' they are forced to try to 'up sell/offer add on's' or they risk losing their jobs. All the boys & girls upstairs care about is making more $ & they set reticules targets. One place I worked at had a target that required staff had to get each customer to spend at least $100 & buy a minimum of 3 items. Staff are given this outrageous sales targets & told they must[/i] meet them or else. they also have to deal with 'mystery shoppers' who are sent in by the guys up top to spy on their employees & report if they aren't 'doing their job' - ie: flogging more crap to the customers. If you're what they (the brass) consider to be an 'underperforming' employee ie: you don't try to upsell or offer add on's, then you run the risk of not only getting the chop but no reference as well. They aren't 'selling' you the crap cause they want to they're doing it to be able to keep their jobs & leave with a good enough reference to go on to the next one.
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Post by the light works on Jan 8, 2014 14:54:46 GMT
One of my late christmas gifts got me going again... Why do garments, especially undergarment and pajamas have to have huge nasty labels that are hard to remove without damaging the clothes..... Can't they just use a damn sticker? Anyway, one of my pet peeves. What are yours? It is because there is a requirement that the labeling must remain legible for the entire service life of the garment. not that it makes it any less of a peeve.
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Post by the light works on Jan 8, 2014 14:58:08 GMT
Shop assistants who go over the top trying to 'help' you..... When in fact they are trying to steer you towards the most expensive part of the shop.... I suspect they are on commission. I just went in for a couple of work shirts, no, I dont want the jacket that goes with them, nor do I need Trousers, or shoes................... Do I LOOK like a person who would wear that?.... Seriously?.... "These are this months biggest sellers..." My Style is NOT fashion victim. I do NOT do fashion at all. If everyone else has them, you can be certain, I do NOT want them. I am anti-fashion. I especially have great hate for clothes that go out-of-fashion that clog up wardrobes. Check shirt and Jeans.... Never been fashionable, are timeless, clean, utilitarian, easy cleaning in a washing machine, no special care needed, and if you rip a hole in your shirt, you dont care that much, you can get a replacement for less than the cost of a [fashionable-chain-] coffee.... Mine have become bleached with wear, but still come clean, and when washed and dried, I can get the creases out overnight by putting them under the mattress.... I go for comfort and utilitarian, but affordable. Preferably clean and smart....But if I want a Label, I would get a job as a security officer?... There are certain places I work for that have a Uniform code, I adhere to that, I will even wear their identification badges, but that is Uniform, its not fashion is it?.... The reason I am wearing a "Spray-away" coat is because they are one of the most reliable Goretex rain coats I have ever worn.... and this one was on Discount in a sale. The fact it has the spray-away name on it is incidental. I didnt buy it for the "Badge". I may be able to get half a dozen good smart comfortable cotton shirts for the price you pay for that one with a certain crocodile on it... And mine will actually last longer than that. Now go give your head a wobble, I can see what I want, and I know where the tills are, so stop trying to waste my time please?... Pet Peve. Shoe-shopping with my Mum.... I did it once. You all know the story.... six hours traipsing from shop to shop, and to end up back in the first shop, with the very first pair she tried on?.... Apparently, this is common?.... I walk in the shop, spot a pair that looks good, check the price, check they will wear well, check for size, put them on to make sure they fit and are comfortable, and where is the till?.... 20 mins top. Something I do when out shopping anyway is keep an eye on what footwear is being sold... I already know what I would be looking for by the time I get there. the related peeve is when the fashion world decides to make work clothes fashionable among those who do no work. here, we have a brand of work clothes that 75% or more of the working end of construction wear. one year they became fashionable for the hangers-about and the price went up 30% to accommodate demand - and we had packs of roving idlers slouching about the malls in crisply pressed Carhartts, "fresh dipped in s***" (the base color of these is a sort of brown-tan which rapidly fades so it is obvious when they are brand-new)
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Post by the light works on Jan 8, 2014 15:02:09 GMT
this is much more minor. in my kitchen the place where the next-to-be-opened loaf of bread belongs is on top of the toaster.
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Post by ironhold on Jan 8, 2014 18:05:37 GMT
Shop assistants who go over the top trying to 'help' you..... When in fact they are trying to steer you towards the most expensive part of the shop.... I suspect they are on commission. Between my MBA and my knowledge of how retail environments work, I know how the game is played. The smart sales clerks at the stores I frequent know better than to try such a thing with me. They just hand me the sales fliers, chat with me a little, and get out of my way so that I can get what I want to purchase. Same thing I have to tell my mom. When it comes to clothing, I prefer "function" over "form". For shirts, I prefer durable, short-sleeved button-up shirts with two torso pockets. These shirts are rugged enough to where I can do physical labor in them, but presentable enough to where I can wear them at social events.* And it's warm enough 10 months of the year for me to not need long sleeves, so I don't need such shirts. I have similar rules for shorts, pants, and jeans: durable but comfortable, and the more pockets the better. My mom, however, presumes that because she's constantly buying new clothing that others around her should buy new clothing as well. 9 for 10, however, what she finds for me is either the wrong size (I can be there with her, in the store, telling her my size and she'll still get the wrong thing) or something I can't wear due to not being durable enough or having some sort of other flaw. *Handling newspapers is messy business; my hands and shirt are almost always grey with printer's ink that has rubbed off of each copy by the time I'm done processing everything, yet I still have to appear before the general public when I pick up postal bags and perform other tasks relating to the job. Cotton and denim are forgiving enough to handle both the ink and the washing needed to get clean again, but soft enough for me to wear for extended periods. And back when I worked as a tutor for a local college, I would literally go from work to "digging ditches" or "changing tires" in the same day depending upon what needed to get done once I got off of work.
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Post by The Urban Mythbuster on Jan 8, 2014 20:22:12 GMT
My brother is a machinist (CNC, lathe, etc) at a shop that would love to get some military-related work, so this one applies to him: The Pentagon needs to stop subcontracting with Chinese companies for helicopter parts. The Pentagon's math is that a US shop charges $0.50 per solenoid, but the Chinese shop will do it for $0.25 per solenoid, which (to the pols) means the work should be sent overseas to save money. But, the parts are then sent from the Chinese factory to the US shop for inspection at a cost of $0.20 per solenoid (Total = $0.45). And, about 75% of solenoids don't meet tolerances or fail inspection for some other reason. So, the US shop remakes the part for $0.50 ($0.95). Let's assume 10,000 solenoids are needed. The cost to manufacture in China is $2500.00. Add in inspection (with only 25% passing), the total is now $4500.00. After that, the US factory remakes 75% of the parts (7500) for $3750.00. The total bill for this process is $8,250. If the Pentagon just gave the contract to the US factory, it would have been $5,000. (Multiple this by thousands of parts' contracts per year and you'll see a lot of government waste.) More proof that logic and common sense are dead within the higher levels of government. One of the leading causes of military helicopter crashes is parts failure...not system failure, parts failure. Yesterday: U.S. Air Force helicopter crashes on Britain's eastern coast; 4 deadToday: One dead, one missing as Navy helicopter crashes off Virginia coast*Steps off soapbox*
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Post by BlackWidowNor on Jan 9, 2014 1:23:16 GMT
I know a bit about the "big box" stores - having retail experience, computer experience and tv shop experience - I am hated at places like Best Buy. I will actually HELP those milling around waiting for the teenagers/20somethings they hire with no experience and no knowledge in the product line they're trying to sell. The goal for them is to sell you the most expensive product they can. My goal? Have them be happy with the product they have, have the ability to use it to it's full potential and not OVER buy. Getting a tv for your hyperactive 12 year old? Buy something that works and is cheap - they're going to break it and accidental damage isn't covered under warranty. Want something for that living room with those MASSIVE windows with the southern exposure? DO NOT buy anything with a "glass" screen (read PLASMA) because the glare will be unbearable and make the tv unwatchable for half the day. Want something cheap for a man cave? Go with a large Vizio. Want a quality plasma as a show piece? Panasonic. Don't worry about 3D unless you've got tons of cash to blow for the glasses that's needed for EVERY VIEWER and want to have a limited amount of good quality product to view.
My recommendations are Samsung, LG for LCD/LED and Panasonic for Plasma. Get the extended warranty - you'll need it (and if you can get it for accidental damage? DO EEEEETTT!)
If you have small children or jumpy pets (cats, dogs, etc...) Get the tv wall mounted professionally with a quality mount and get something to hide the cords. I've seen too many cracked panels because Junior either threw a Wii remote, tv remote or slapped the screen resulting in a great piece of electronic art (or an expensive piece of junk).
I request that if you have a tv with an issue - PLEASE look for a local servicer (preferably one that's affiliated with NESDA - that's the national organization for servicers. I know they can fix almost anything.)
Now... you're probably going to ask what I own... I own a 57" Sony rear projection TV with a fabulous picture AND a JVC 39" LED for the bedroom. I got the Sony on Craigstlist for 100 b ucks and I bought the JVC because it was dirt cheap and my office does the warranty work for them. So if it breaks, I know just where it's going.
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Post by the light works on Jan 9, 2014 4:23:20 GMT
My brother is a machinist (CNC, lathe, etc) at a shop that would love to get some military-related work, so this one applies to him: The Pentagon needs to stop subcontracting with Chinese companies for helicopter parts. The Pentagon's math is that a US shop charges $0.50 per solenoid, but the Chinese shop will do it for $0.25 per solenoid, which (to the pols) means the work should be sent overseas to save money. But, the parts are then sent from the Chinese factory to the US shop for inspection at a cost of $0.20 per solenoid (Total = $0.45). And, about 75% of solenoids don't meet tolerances or fail inspection for some other reason. So, the US shop remakes the part for $0.50 ($0.95). Let's assume 10,000 solenoids are needed. The cost to manufacture in China is $2500.00. Add in inspection (with only 25% passing), the total is now $4500.00. After that, the US factory remakes 75% of the parts (7500) for $3750.00. The total bill for this process is $8,250. If the Pentagon just gave the contract to the US factory, it would have been $5,000. (Multiple this by thousands of parts' contracts per year and you'll see a lot of government waste.) More proof that logic and common sense are dead within the higher levels of government. One of the leading causes of military helicopter crashes is parts failure...not system failure, parts failure. Yesterday: U.S. Air Force helicopter crashes on Britain's eastern coast; 4 deadToday: One dead, one missing as Navy helicopter crashes off Virginia coast*Steps off soapbox* and they said the government should be run like as business...
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Post by kharnynb on Jan 9, 2014 5:11:42 GMT
Blackwidow, i'll add that for pc's, get logitech for kb's and mice, good warranty is included.
And if you live in The EU, do not buy extended warranty, it's a scam, the shop has to give you 2 years warranty on electronics either way.
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Post by silverdragon on Jan 9, 2014 9:03:25 GMT
Care to name and shame them?.... I have met this pressure, I resist, I often walk out, announcing that they have lemoned the sale and lost my custom.
We had the same here happen with Doc Martens. Doc's used to be the main footwear of those who needed good protective footwear.... They were definitely not fashion. Then they became so, and the makers went stupid, and shipped the whole manufacturing process overseas, so some cheep sweat shop. Unfortunately, the reliability and build quality dropped as fast as the price went up. They are now synonymous with cheep cr@p sold in expensive boxes.... And I wouldnt wear them as Bike boots ever again, as I dont think their steel toecaps have even 10% of the steel in them any more.... they are not even sold as "Safety" boots because of trades descriptions?....
Get Samsung and you wont need to extend the warranty. We have one ten-year old Samsung screen... still perfect working order. We have several others, TV's to computer monitors, all Samsung, not one has given us any problems yet. And that is why they are now ALL Samsung.... one by one all of the old various make ones have all been replaced, as needed, and the Samsung replacements have lasted the best.
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Post by Lex Of Sydney Australia on Jan 9, 2014 9:42:15 GMT
Best thing about Samsung is how 'non quibbling' their employees are. I bought a Samsung TV from a Samsung shop & it didn't work when I got home. I called the shop & told them what had happened & rather than quibbling with me & wasting my time with arguing about if I had 'caused' the 'problem' or not. They said they'd just replace it for me as long as I had the receipt. They even came to my house with the replacement made sure it worked & then took my 'broken' TV away. Now that is what I call good service.
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Post by OziRiS on Jan 9, 2014 11:14:53 GMT
Last night, went to one such store (Worst Buy) to get a range extender for my home network. The shelves are disheveled, multiple items in the wrong place on the shelves, couldn't find the one I wanted, staff claimed he only had one...settled for a different model and informed the staff member of the empty box I found (whilst putting products in the right places to figure out the correct prices) indicitive of a previous patron stealing the product inside.
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Post by OziRiS on Jan 9, 2014 11:26:33 GMT
Oh, and a heads up about Samsung:
I'm a fan of the brand myself and haven't had any problems with any of their products yet, but a couple of months ago a Danish consumer service TV show revealed that in the past couple of years Samsung have been using sub-standard parts in some of their TV and computer screens, leading them to fail after about two years. It's not a major problem if you find a repair shop where they know about this, since the part that most commonly fails is a 20 cent condensator, so including work hours the repair probably won't run you much more than $20-$50. If the shop you go to use better parts, the problem will go away completely and you can enjoy your screen for many years to come.
It's worth noting that the TV show blew the problem way out of proportion and made it sound like this was bound to happen with every Samsung screen bought after 2010. That isn't true. The numbers suggest it's more like 3-7%. However, the problem does exist, so if your Samsung screen suddenly fails on you, find a repair shop that knows to look at that condensator before looking at anything else and you'll have your screen back soon enough.
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Post by silverdragon on Jan 9, 2014 11:46:23 GMT
If your Wi-Fi needs "Extending", you have three options... Either hard-wire a second Wi-Fi router into the system an place that where you need the extension, or move the original into a better place. All you then have to do is put in place the network addresses for each router, and make sure they are different. (To avoid confusion...)
And at this point, have a hard backed notebook handy, and write down any settings you make or change.... You just know you will need those details later?....
You can run as many different Wi-Fi routers as you want on the lan, all you have to do is let each machine into the secret that there is more than one access point, and then any decent machine will seek out the best one to use at any one given time... it will self roam between available wi-fi spots, once it has found them.
As for networking, your sending of information (streaming) is done to the machine, it cares not what route it takes as long as it gets there.
The Hard-wire preference for each router is for simplicity. If its hard-wired, there will be no argument between different makes, or two similar makes wanting the same IP gateway address... If its hardwire, it should automatically seek the next available address... Plus you can only log onto the routers control page by Hard-wire
I have three routers on my lan, two hard-wire, one Wi-Fi. They all get along quite nicely...
The third option, get a better router. As time progresses, the "G" numbers go up, and Wi-Fi gets better, better range, faster, and less interference. Sometimes an old Wi-Fi is just that, I now have a wireless router that has no external aerials at all, and it works 100% better than the last one.... Its often cheaper to get a better router than it is to buy an extender.
As for buying one of those plug-and-play extenders, so, your going to plug the extender into the wall socket in the room you are having difficulty getting a signal in... Your existing equipment cant get your original wi-fi in that room, you expect this dongle to do any better?... Plug it in outside that room, will it get round the interference that is making that room a dead zone?...
If its just physical distance from the original router, then yes they will work, but if its dead zones and interference, I will be sceptical on their ability to work, which is why I suggest a hard-wire extension.
Any system that claims to use electrical mains, either using the Earth or any other, as its signal carrier, beware... One spike and that system is toast. And that could be caused by a light-bulb going and blowing a fuse.
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Post by kharnynb on Jan 9, 2014 12:09:25 GMT
WiFi extenders are crap, they halve your speeds and increase the latency a lot.
Hard-wiring between 2 routers is a good choice. Or getting a good quality outdoor router works well too(outdoor ones have much better antennas.
Internet over mains does work reasonably well in a newer wired house, old wiring will screw it badly.
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Post by OziRiS on Jan 9, 2014 12:28:58 GMT
If your Wi-Fi needs "Extending", you have three options... Either hard-wire a second Wi-Fi router into the system an place that where you need the extension, or move the original into a better place. All you then have to do is put in place the network addresses for each router, and make sure they are different. (To avoid confusion...) And at this point, have a hard backed notebook handy, and write down any settings you make or change.... You just know you will need those details later?.... You can run as many different Wi-Fi routers as you want on the lan, all you have to do is let each machine into the secret that there is more than one access point, and then any decent machine will seek out the best one to use at any one given time... it will self roam between available wi-fi spots, once it has found them. As for networking, your sending of information (streaming) is done to the machine, it cares not what route it takes as long as it gets there. The Hard-wire preference for each router is for simplicity. If its hard-wired, there will be no argument between different makes, or two similar makes wanting the same IP gateway address... If its hardwire, it should automatically seek the next available address... Plus you can only log onto the routers control page by Hard-wire I have three routers on my lan, two hard-wire, one Wi-Fi. They all get along quite nicely... The third option, get a better router. As time progresses, the "G" numbers go up, and Wi-Fi gets better, better range, faster, and less interference. Sometimes an old Wi-Fi is just that, I now have a wireless router that has no external aerials at all, and it works 100% better than the last one.... Its often cheaper to get a better router than it is to buy an extender. As for buying one of those plug-and-play extenders, so, your going to plug the extender into the wall socket in the room you are having difficulty getting a signal in... Your existing equipment cant get your original wi-fi in that room, you expect this dongle to do any better?... Plug it in outside that room, will it get round the interference that is making that room a dead zone?... If its just physical distance from the original router, then yes they will work, but if its dead zones and interference, I will be sceptical on their ability to work, which is why I suggest a hard-wire extension. Any system that claims to use electrical mains, either using the Earth or any other, as its signal carrier, beware... One spike and that system is toast. And that could be caused by a light-bulb going and blowing a fuse. If you're placing the extender IN the room you're having problems in, you're a dunce and shouldn't be working with this stuff yourself. Get a professional to help or at least someone with more knowledge than you. The extender needs to be placed between the router and the place that has no signal and will only work if it's a range problem. If it's an interference problem, you're f***ed either way. That should go without saying. In my particular case it's a range problem. Getting a different router isn't an option for me, since the one I have is provided by my ISP and the signal from the main cable that comes in from the street is encrypted. The router they provide has software that decodes it, so it has to be there or you don't get a signal. It's only beyond that piece of hardware you're free to distribute the signal throughout the house as you want. Hard wiring anouther wireless router to the original one might be an option thoug. I'll have to look into that, so thanks for that idea
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