To quote a curmudgeonly but knowledgeable friend who helps me with motorcycle problems:
“Don’t flail”.
That is to say, when you’re trying to figure out why something has gone wrong, don’t grasp at straws/jump to conclusions/run around like a chicken with its head cut off.
Start by relaxing. Take a walk, enjoy the day.
Come back. Look with new eyes. Did you overlook anything. Is it plugged in? Is it turned on? (The first two questions any computer hardware tech should ask).
What changed? Yes, it’s possible that something died while you weren’t looking. Sometimes it happens. But assure yourself that you (or someone else) did not fiddle with something.
True story:
“My sound card died”.
(followed by several moments of checking diagnostics)
“Sir, do you have a set of speakers plugged into the sound card?”
“Yes!” “Are you sure?” “Yes!”
(followed by anxious minutes of testing everything)
“OK, see if you can find a set of headphones. Your speakers may have a problem.”
“Are you sure? It’s hard to get back there…”
“Yes, please.”
(moments of silence)
“Uh…” “Yes?”
“The plug fell out of the card. I pushed it back in.”
(Sound immediately comes out of card).
If you post to SDMB with a problem, be ready to do some diagnosis to eliminate possible causes. That may mean several minutes testing various configurations, etc. I know it’s a pain, but all Dopers can do is guess unless they have some good data points.
PS - Observation about home networking: Unless you understand networking, let your ISP set up home networking for you. You’ll have fewer gray hairs.
Definition of “understand”: You know what a “MAC” and “IP” address are (and the difference between them) and what DNS is. You also know the difference between a router, a switch, and a hub.
