When Sucky Tech Turns. . . Semi-Almost-OK. Maybe

Several years ago, back in the olden days of the rough edges of wireless printing, I purchased a “Wireless Upgrade Kit” from HP that. . . sucked. Not only would the software not properly install on an OS it was supposedly designed for without sprinkles of small animal entrails and a vigorous application of a chicken bone rattle, when the software installed, the thing didn’t work. No, not “didn’t work well” just “didn’t work”.

I could’ve returned the thing, I suppose, but the PC end of the thing did work as a USB wireless adapter. . . in Linux, though, not in Windows. *shrugs* Fo gigure.

Fast forward several years (urm, 7 or so?). I ran across this thing while leaning out old techie junk and thought to myself, “Self, why not see if HP has finally made some workarounds or new software or whatever available?” I didn’t hold out much hope. After all, I had purchased an HP “wireless network capable” printer in the time since I had had such a wonderful experience with HP’s wireless printer upgrade kit (yeh, yeh: sucker), and it worked soooo well. Not. Decent printing, just could NOT hang onto a network connection. Period. But what can I say? I had low expectations but high hopes. *heh*

After an hour of messing with the thing. . . it worked! Color me bumfuzzled. . .

Now a down version of the wireless HP printer (exactly same AIO printer but w/o the crappy wireless “feature”) in the other room is connecting wirelessly to at least one lil notebook. Now I need (for values of “need” that include “Oh, heck that’d be cool” *heh*) to see about getting the other three computers in this room to also connect to it. If that works, then the several computers downstairs can be connected as well. Since I’m more or less off and today’s “small projects day” (in lieu of actually heading outside to do Big Projects Day ;-)), that sounds like a plan.