Visual

Where does the time go? I'd like to say that I'll do better about posting, but our Race for the Cure is October 17. That means that we start processing our teams next week and I'll be tied up with that for about 2 weeks.

In the meantime, Stephanie posted a comment recently asking questions about the wireless connection to my cricuts and requesting a picture. (Here's a LINK to my last post regarding wireless use of the cricuts.) I thought maybe several pictures would help others understand as well.

This is my basic setup. I tried to take one picture or stitch the two together, but it just was not happening with the allowable space I have behind my table. (Remember that you can click on the photo to open a larger view.)


Next is my lamp which sits on top of the hub (Belkin F5L009 Network USB Hub). Set up this way, the hub doesn't even take up any space.


Here's the hub from the front with the lamp moved.


And the back of the hub.


I thought maybe labeling the cords would help a little. The black one is the power cord for the hub; the blue one connects the hub to the bridge; the gray one is the USB cord to my baby bug; and the white one is the USB cord to my Expression.


Remember that Dave attached my power strips and everything to the bottom of my table. This is the bridge (Linksys - Dual-Band Wireless-N Ethernet Bridge. Model: WET610N Best Buy SKU: 9213861) which is also attached under there. You can barely see the blue cord which attaches it to the hub.


This is our wireless internet router (ours is a Linksys) which sits on top of our entertainment center across the room. Dave also has another bridge two rooms over that controls all of his X10 equipment. I'm not sure what all he has connected to it.


On the ladder, you can see the router between the pictures of our respective families a few Christmas' ago.


From the floor, you don't even know it's up there.


To recap from the previous post, my laptop talks wirelessly to the router which talks wirelessly to the bridge. The bridge is attached to the hub and the hub is attached to the cricuts.

If you can only afford one piece at a time, you want the hub first and connect it directly to your internet with a cable.

I'm blessed not only with a wonderful husband, but one that is a computer tech and loves gadgets!

I hope that answers your questions. If not, please let me know.

I'll try to share a file or two with you before we start processing.

Later,
Jill

Update! Update!

With Easter last weekend and us going to Branson on Monday for a few days and some of the girls coming over Friday night and spending ALL week celebrating my birthday, it's been rather busy around here. Dave told me today that my birthday has GOT to end--a week and a half is quite long enough. I tend to disagree though. lol

Here's the beginnings of a card that I've started. Can you guess it's purpose?


"Jill, what's the update?" you ask. Well, Dave's been busy once again, and I am now using my cricuts completely WIRELESS!!!!!! While I was headed out the door this morning to check out Michaels' cartridge sale, he asked if I would be willing to stop by Best Buy. What am I looking for? A bridge. A what? A bridge. At Best Buy? He printed it off which was a really good thing since the Best Buy guys knew less than me.

Dave removed the cable which was connecting my USB hub in the last post to our network and replaced it with a Linksys - Dual-Band Wireless-N Ethernet Bridge. Model: WET610N Best Buy SKU: 9213861 Cost: $99.99 (thank goodness for tax refunds). The bridge now does the talking to the wireless router. The cricuts are connected to the hub; the hub to the bridge; and the bridge talks to the router. Well, I guess it's actually the other way since my laptop talks to the router which talks to the bridge which talks to the hub which tells my cricut to cut my file.

Limitations? Whatever your wireless limitations are. If your laptop will work there, the bridge will work there.

Dave did want me to let you know that according to Linksys, it will connect to any router; however, we are connecting to a Linksys router. Therefore, we can't vouch for any other router.


I also wanted to share that Dave has attached my power strips to the bottom of my scrap table and hooked and tie-strapped my wires so that all of those wires aren't hanging down and laying on the floor. And I don't have to sit on the floor or do exercises to plug things in. Laurie, if you're reading this, I thought this would be great for you if you're able to do so. Of course, it helps that my table is wood.

I'll finish up my card later, but here's the file for this part in case you have a use for it. It's made with Hello Kitty Font and George (but any rectangle could replace George). And it will cut on either size.

2 Card Front


Take care,
Jill

Remote Cricut Cutting

OMG! I am totally in Cricut/Design Studio heaven! Well, as close as we can get right now. lol

Last year, I asked Dave if it was possible to make my Cricut wireless. (Someone had discussed it on the message board.) He thought it could be done but would require additional equipment. I decided my laziness did not justify the cost of said equipment.

Laziness? you ask. Well, DS is on my laptop, and I like to sit in my recliner to design, do email and read the message boards. It's just a pain to unplug my laptop, find a spot for it on my scrapping table, plug it in over there, plug it into the Cricut and test a cut file. And then reverse to come back to my recliner. I know, I could let it run on battery; however, I always end up over there longer than expected and run low on battery power.

Heikenn recently brought the subject up once again on the message board, and I asked Dave what he came up with last time. He found the info and printed it out, but I never got around to posting it to the board. What he didn't tell me was that whatever that was did not get good reviews.

After stopping by Michaels and to get gas on the way home yesterday (basically, dawdling), Dave seemed a bit excited when I got home. He said he had something to show me. He said it was the first of many birthday presents. (My birthday is Tuesday, and I never know what he's going to come up with for it and Christmas.)

It's a Belkin F5L009 Network USB Hub. Description: Wireless access to USB printers, media readers, external hard drives and more using your existing wireless network. Reviews: excellent! Cost: $99.99.

The hub has to be plugged into the network and the Cricut has to be plugged into the hub. But then my wireless laptop can cut from wherever I am in our house. If I had Design Studio on my pc, I could also cut from there.

See scan below:


I tested some cuts last night and was able to cut on the Expression but not on the Baby Bug. This morning, I had a thought. I loaded a mat on each machine and connected a jukebox to each one. I knew that Jasmine was connected to the Expression, so I selected J on it but didn't pay attention to what mat I had on the screen. It was the 6x12. I was partially outside of the cut area for the E, so it did not completely cut (top strip left edge--click image for larger view). Then I selected the moon on New Arrival since I knew it was in the Baby Bug and moved my J over behind the moon. I clicked Disconnect for the E and then clicked Cut in DS. It cut both the moon and the J on the Baby Bug even though Jasmine was connected to the E (bottom strip). I then added Hello Kitty to the Baby Bug jukebox, disconnected the Baby Bug, connected the E, moved the moon and J over on the virtual mat, added a design from Hello Kitty and clicked Cut. The E cut the moon and J but not the Hello Kitty design since it had not read that jukebox since adding the cart. I then closed the file, selected the J from Calligraphy Collection and the moon again from New Arrival. When I clicked on Cut, it read the jukebox connected to the E and cut only the J.

Through trial and error since last night, I have learned:
1) I can use both my Baby Bug and my Expression, just not at the exact same time
2) Both machines can be connected at the same time but one takes priority and I haven't figured out for sure what determines that (my Expression currently takes priority)
3) I can cut on the Expression, disconnect it (clicking a button--NOT unplug), and cut on the Baby Bug and reverse
4) Design Studio allows me to cut on the Expression even if the virtual mat is the 12x6 but not cut on the Baby Bug with the 12x12 virtual mat
5) Cut areas for each machine are still the same as before
6) Cartridges in the jukebox read on one machine will cut on the other machine as long as the file is not closed between cuts--I'm thinking I should technically be able to use 6 jukeboxes

I don't know whether you have any use for this, but I am absolutely thrilled with this ability. You can connect up to 5 devices to the hub, so you may find other uses for it as well.

I hope you and your families have a Happy and Blessed Easter Sunday,
Jill