Computer Help Again

[Susan1]

Hi. I could not find my old thread. So - help desk people?

The problem with the computer turning off was the power strip/surge protector. It came with my first computer in 1999. It had two outlets that were always on even when you pushed the button to turn off the power to everything else. I have to have that for the AT&T Uverse thing that runs the phone internet and cable.

I could not find anything else like it, so I went to Home Depot and got a power strip that had all of the computer components controlled by plugging the computer into a green outlet. However, the outlets I thought were "always on" turned out to just not be attached to the computer one. If you turned the power strip off, they went off too. I figured I could live with it turned on all the time. Until........we had a power surge in the middle of the night during a storm and it turned on my computer and everything. I don't know what time it was. I didn't notice till I woke up and the clock was flashing and I came in here to reset the desk clock.

I can't have that happening in the middle of the night or if I am not here all day. So I ordered what I thought was the right thing from Best Buy. The same company that made the first one. I got that home and it has the "always on" outlets for the AT&T box. And the other outlets that are controlled if you turn the computer off. But...........you can't turn it off. All it has is a manual/auto switch. If it's on manual, you have to turn everything off separately. If it's on auto, it's going to do the same thing the next time it storms.

Don't they make a power strip/surge protector that you can just turn off, while keeping the "always on" on? Uh, that doesn't cost $1,000????? The old one came WITH the computer. I don't know how much it cost, but it lasted 14 years!!!!

I know everybody probably has wireless everything and laptops and don't even have to worry about this kind of stuff, but I don't know what to do. And the only other available plug in this room is hardwired to the light switch, so I couldn't use that one to be always on.

Sorry this is so long. I had to explain everything in detail. And everyone is going to say I'm SOL, huh? Thanks to AT&T Uverse.

[Simone411]

I'm a little confused regarding your setup. I recently got rid of my home phone (land line phone) since I mainly make calls using my cell phone. A few years back (around 2006), I still had WebTV Plus, a new laptop, my home phone and Direct TV. I used a triple phone line adapter which worked pretty well. When AT&T had DSL available in my area, which was around 2009, I got it and some filters came with the DSL that I had to plug in to the triple phone line adapter. I have two power strip surge protectors that I plugged all my gadgets in and I could turn off everything without having to turn off or unplug the surge protectors.

Since I no longer have a home phone, I don't have to worry with the adapter or filters, and I don't have a phone line plugged into my DirecTV receiver. I was recently forced into a migration with U-Verse for my internet. AT&T sent me a new modem and a green data line. I plugged one end into my phone jack and the other end into the U-Verse wireless modem.

I don't know how U-Verse Cable works. I'm assuming it's like Cable Vision (cable tv). It's not offered in my area yet and I'm not going to get it whenever it does become available.

[rjblue]

I bought two power bars (separately) in the last two years, and both of them have two outlets that are always on, even if the bar is turned off. But I looked online just now and the only one I could find with that option was the Belkin Conserve.