“The Internet is down!” I would call to Bill and then walk away from the computer. After a while he would go to the study, do something mysterious, and the Internet would be back. This morning I sat down at the PC to check my e-mail: no Internet connection. Without the Internet, I can’t do my online banking, send messages to my friends, watch movies on my iPad, check the directions to the horse show this Saturday, buy stuff on Amazon, or publish this blog. Staying connected is essential.

My son-in-law told me how to reboot, and sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn’t. I have rebooted the PC up to thirty times before the connection is restored. I have given up calling my service provider because they usually want me to unplug the router and plug the modem directly into the computer, and my son has warned me that removes my first firewall line of defense, leaving my computer open to hackers who will swoop down and invade it. Just thinking about that makes me nervous. So I reboot.

The other day I found written instructions from Bill: “Plug in the modem and wait until the cable light shines steadily. Then plug in the router.” And what do you know: that worked! I got the Internet back this morning with just one try. Thank you, Bill.

Wait until the light shines steadily.