Networking chicken and egg

I had a recent need for mobile computing, preferably with a larger screen size. So I dusted off the GalliumOS powered Toshiba chromebook to discover it refuses to connect to wifi. Delete the connection entry, reboot, create a new one. Nope. Hmm. Network admin brain cells start warming up, a command line or two later, and I have an interesting error message about "no available address". Ok, over to the desktop to check the access point's status screen. Isn't there a special address I need to use, or something? Rooting around the desk unearths the manual and the necessary settings. Boot a live CD for the interim? Nope, too scuffed up.  Fine, ifconfig<enter> "command not found"? Oh, right /sbin/ifconfig<enter> "command not found". SAY WHAT??? My recent upgrade to Debian-Bullseye didn't include those ancient net-tools for which I've memorized the syntax. By this time I've done a full reset on the AP, but the wired ethernet connection should work with minimal intervention, right? Hours later at least the wifi is working and has the correct settings, but the wired connection to the desktop is still dead. Umm, no, couldn't be that. <checks hub under the desk> Only one connection indicator? The desktop _is_ plugged in, that means...

All that time wasted, because of a broken tab on an RJ45. The cable had unplugged itself one or another time that I flipped over the AP to check or re-check its' default values. All I want for Christmas is aRJ45 crimping tool. ;)

Oh, right. Back to the chromebook and why we're really here. With a fully functioning network, updated firmware on the AP, and a nice clean block of 192.168.0.* for DHCP leases the 'book still reports no address. Since it hasn't been used in many months, dhclient -r? Nothing changes. Using nmcli's monitor mode, I notice that it is alway failing at the DHCP lease step. A bit more digging in DHCP land, but nothing changes. I'm not sure why, but I checked the date/time on the 'book to discover that, while the date was off by about a month, the year was somehow set to 2166! Uhh, what? The month being off by a little, due to a dead battery, should resolve as soon as NNTP runs. Without a network to correct the time, a century-expired DHCP offer would be rejected, right? Is it time for a deep-dive in to the relevant RFCs?

Fuel pump of woe

During the summer, when I wasn't cutting firewood or working on the WellWell device, I was applying my wrench to the Passodeo. It just wasn't running right. Potential culprits included a few five dollar parts, so I replaced those first. Sure enough, testing the throttle position sensor did reveal a bit of jumpiness, but the overall situation did not improve.

Being a 20+ year old car, the next most likely culprit would be the fuel pump. A 15 dollar part, ok. The shop manual tells me that there are just 10 bolts to remove to do the job. Easy-peasy, right? Again, the manual writers omitted the first step, 1) Remove body from frame.

A few choice words and a lot of pressure washing later the bolts were located and removed. It may sound easy, but there was so little clearance, I could only move the wrench one ratchet click at a time, by my fingertips only. Parts ordered, parts received, bolt threads cleaned, reassemble!

There are three hoses from the tank, fuel out, fuel return and a tank vent. Be sure to mark their connections on the fixed endpoints before dissambly. The return and vent happen to be the same size on the Passodeo and I managed to swap these lines. Oops. The result was fuel dribbling from the vent port at the rear of the car. Opening the gas cap relieved the pressure enough to stop that. More troubleshooting needed.

Just to be certain that I would re-connect the right line to the right port, I disconnected the vent line at the purge solenoid/valve at the intake manifold to blow air through the line. No flow? WTF? Is there another valve somewhere? No, following the rubber hose to the steel tubing to the rubber hose at the far end revealed nothing interestng. A quick puff of air on the removed rubber hose was rewarded with a shower of charcaol granules. The hose was completely plugged. Checking at the other end revealed the same problem. Oh, no is the steel line also plugged? It sure was. Repair, replace, or bypass? It is a pipe, a small one, but still a pipe. I crafted a drain snake from a speedometer cable that I had not yet installed in a friend's car and a length of plastic drip-irrigation tubing. It took a couple of hours, but that line is flowing freely now! The vent valve and its' filter were plugged with granules, too. Better check the purge valve, that I replaced a few weeks ago. A few more chunks fell out of that.I can only wonder how much made it in to the intake, and then through the valves. Time will tell, I guess.

Terms and Conditions?

I read them. I'm paying the price.

When I was shopping for a new phone, only de-Googled models were on the list. The one I chose claimed full T-Mo compatibility, but after the episode with my previous phone, I was dubious. According to the T&C, returning the phone would be at my expense, shipping it to an address in Canada. Well, ok. Buy now.

It arrived, from France, days ahead of the replacement SIM I ordered from my carrier. After two weeks of online support chats with the carrier, I gave up on the phone. It just would not work on the network. (T-Mo band 12 seems to require some sort of special VoLTE white-listing, which I suspect that this phone didn't have.)

I filed the paper work required by the vendor and shipped it off to the address specified. The shipping charge set me back $130. But this is what I agreed to, right? After a week, or so, in customs it it is out for delivery. It was refused! This was also about the time a shipping label arrived from the vendor. Huh? The phone sat on the shipper's truck for another week before the return to sender caught up to it. Then another week in customs, and finally the phone is back at the shipper's office here. It will be another $150 to take possession of the phone from the shipping company? What!!! At least they didn't manage to crush the phone in transit.

Slapped their label on it and off it goes. Nearly three months later, still no refund.