Before I hurt someone's feelings. Let me stress that I have nothing against Best Buy or the people there that are trying to make a living
I had a strange experience at Best Buy yesterday. It was a little slow and the sales people out numbered the customers.The store was dimly lit and almost had a spooky atmosphere.
I was picking up a new DVD recorder (the last two died but that's not part of the story). While I was there I decided to look at wireless routers. I was looking for a Linksys WRT54GL specifically.
A strange looking black lady about seven feet tall kept trying to sell me Direct TV while I wandered toward the computer section. She finally took the hint when I kept walking.
I asked the guy in the computer area if they had the router I was looking for. He immediately grabbed one off the self and said this is what you need it's an N. "Much faster and it will do what you want." As expected it was the most expensive one they sold.
I glanced at the routers on the shelf and told him that I was aware that the N is faster but I need an external antenna and prefer to mod the firmware myself.
He immediately says why? I explained that on occasion I want to get more range. Then he kind of puffs himself up and says I am an expert on these and I'm telling you this will work in any home. I get a kick out of "experts" so instead of walking away I told him I am considering setting up an external antenna to use the library's Wi Fi that is about a block away. He tells me it can't be done. I told him it could.
So he gives me this weird know it all look and says it is impossible for you to use someone else's Wi Fi. I told him it was and we did it and asked him if he had heard of a hot spot. So he says how can you if your router isn't wired into their LAN? I explained that the wireless router sends and receives a radio signal that transmits data. He says no it doesn't it just sends. All the time he is waving his hands around over his head while wiggling his fingers I guess that was how "experts" pantomime radio waves. By this time I was having fun with him. I couldn't help but crack a smile. So he says "I am an authority on routers and I can assure you that a wireless router does not send and receive radio waves". I said something to the effect that I am neither an authority or and expert but I can assure you that they do. How do you think they transfer data to and from computers wirelessly?
By this time he is red in the face and looks like he is ready to explode.
Then he tries to grab my arm and pull me over to a computer to look it up on the internet. I considered breaking his hand but decided to let it slide. He pulls up a site with specs on a WRT54GL and immediately sees that he is full of crap.
As I walk off and he keeps following me saying "you have a gateway, you have a gateway".
All and all it was a very strange experience. I think I'll stick with Tiger direct for now on.
