Division of Labour: Maybe Markets DON'T Work

February 26, 2006

Maybe Markets DON'T Work

So, I am interested in this.

A serious market failure problem.

On home networks, it is very common for the router to hang up. If you call the tech folks, the first thing they will tell you to do to restore a connection is always the same:

"You'll need to power cycle the router, and cable modem."

Now, that's fine.

Except that there is no power switch.

Which means that you have to unplug the thing, wait there all hunched over for ten seconds, and then plug it back in.

Why not:

1. An on-off switch? The answer that the tech people give is that the manufacturers say you shouldn't have to "toggle" the power, so they don't include a switch.

2. A "power-cycle" button, which in effect just powers down and restarts the router, like a "restart" function on your computer? The answer is...you tell me.

The tech people, remember, WORK for the manufacturer. But they talk about the router as if it were made by robots not capable of learning a new configuration.

Maybe it WOULD cost more to put in an on-off switch, or restart feature. But I would pay more than it costs....

How can this be? I have enabled comments on this post, just to see if someone has an answer....

(There is a more general problem actually, for the computer generation. My son, who has been driving for a couple of months, is convinced that if you have car trouble all you have to do is turn the car off, wait ten cycles, and then "reboot", meaning turn the car back on again. Well, no...)

UPDATE: A loyal reader suggested that a power strip might be the answer. To which, I reply:

now, Karl: that would require that i have a power strip with ONLY the router plugged into it. since my computer, printer, and light is ALSO plugged into the power strip, that on-off switch doesn't help me as much as you apparently think!

cheaper to install a switch on the cord between the router and its own plug.

but that takes me back to the question: WHY NOT HAVE A SWITCH ON THE ROUTER!

Posted by Michael Munger at 03:28 PM in Economics

Comments

Michael,

"...Maybe it WOULD cost more to put in an on-off switch, or restart feature. But I would pay more than it costs...."

I think that this is a regulation issue. It is probably illegal to sell equipment in Europe with an on-off switch labelled ON/OFF. This would be an unfair accomodation for English speakers. Power switches must instead be labelled |/O in pictures. This tends to complicate the customer-support tech communication barrier even more than usual.

Support : Is the unit turned on?
Customer : How do I tell?
etc.

It may well be a good decision to delete the power switch.

Regards, Don

Posted by: Don Lloyd at February 26, 2006 04:38 PM

The problem is not with the design of the router it's with the quality of the tech support people - especially for the average home user who ends up calling their ISP (hey, the problem as fas as they see it is they can't access the internet) rather than the router manufacturer.

You could argue that these simplistic diagnostic routines are designed for non-technical users. But you discover if you actually know something about networks that they are actually designed for non-technical support staff. What you get most of the time is some poor sucker working in the 21st century equivalent of a sweatshop who knows nothing but has been given a simple script to follow. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Hence the ubiquitous "reboot the cable modem / router"...'

Oh, and typically you can reboot the unit via the management console. Of course you need to know the IP address and userid / password for the device's management console - not for your average user. The techs at the manufacturer probably don't even realise that there isn't an on - off switch!

Posted by: Dan Hill at February 26, 2006 08:18 PM

Dan H is right, of course.

The management console is actually quite easy to use for most routers...but you do need the IP to get to it. Easy enough to obtain, but you have to have some idea how the thing works.

And I have had trouble getting a password set up.

So, props to Dan, but the question remains: WTF is up with no toggle switch? It would cost fitty cent, max, once it became part of the basic design.

Posted by: Mungowitz at February 26, 2006 08:25 PM

Well, there *is* this nifty gadget called a power strip. It has an on/off switch built right in...

Posted by: Karl Lembke at February 27, 2006 06:41 PM

Power switch... Brilliant! That way JUST IN CASE the problem is my CPU, monitor, external media, or STEREO SPEAKERS I've covered myself. Ever notice how when you kill a fly with a sledgehammer you do more harm than good?

Posted by: James Bang at February 27, 2006 07:26 PM