As a publisher and software user, I try to fastidiously hold the line between being a technology user and technology installer. I'm not always successful.
A few days ago we rearranged some of our offices and Maureen moved into a room that had previously not been used as an office. Fortunately, it was wired for Ethernet connection, but both ends of the cable were unterminated. I should have called our technology guy, but was in a hurry and decided to do the job myself. How hard could it be?
The receiving plug in her office was easy enough and took only a few minutes to install. The plug at the other end of the cable — the one that's supposed to plug into the switch — was a different story. I scoffed when the guy at RadioShack sold me the package with the five RJ-45 plugs. Typical retail, I thought, to sell me five when I needed one. Two hours later I was back at RadioShack to buy another packet of five because I screwed up the first five.
I have a newfound respect for people who wire Ethernet plugs for living. It's a big enough challenge to get all the little wires in the right order. They ought to pass out certificates just for doing that successfully. But then, to require that you insert them into the plug so they slide into the right slots, crimp that puppy down, and do all this lying on your back in the poorly lit crawl space where the hub is located — this is a sadistic technology designed by Nazis.
I am proud — more proud than you know — to report that I successfully wired plug #9 and Maureen's Internet connection is working perfectly. I am not proud to report the language I used in the completion of my appointed task. Needless to say, I have terminated my first and last Ethernet plug. I retire with an 11.1% success ratio that does not qualify me even for the AA farm clubs.