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User Guide

  • eddyad
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18 Jan 2010 16:08 #1 by eddyad
User Guide was created by eddyad
A user guide that is suitable for people with absolutely zero knowledge of networking and its terminology who want to connect a two or three computers and maybe a USB device on a home network.
No acronym or abbreviation should be used without a description (or a link to a glossary) the first time it occurs.
Situations that can reasonably occur on a users PC shold be dealt with:
for example, no "Networking Places" on the Start Menu, what is a computer name, how to set up file sharing and so on.
Any references to other software need explaining - e.g. is Samba a PC program that has to be installed?

This sort of publication would undoubtedly take time to produce, but it would save hours of user frustration and possible disillusionment with the product. Yesterday I was on the verge of packing up my new 2710 and exchanging it for a Belkin product with USB storage management.

As someone who has been involved with technical writing for IBM, I am aware of the problems that people - even IT professionals - have with poor documentation, and networking is probably the most complex area an average PC user is likely to get into. Please KISS (Keep It Short and Simple)

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18 Jan 2010 22:31 #2 by admin
Replied by admin on topic Re: User Guide

eddyad wrote: A user guide that is suitable for people with absolutely zero knowledge of networking and its terminology who want to connect a two or three computers and maybe a USB device on a home network.



With respect, it's not the job of a router supplier to educate someone from the ground up. You don't get a driving manual when you buy a car, just a manual which explains the specific feature of the car and you don't get a cookery course when you buy an oven :-)

There are plenty of good, and large, networking books you can buy if you have "zero knowledge of networking". I, personally, wouldn't want DrayTek to spend time writing their own, when others already do it well !



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  • eddyad
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19 Jan 2010 14:51 #3 by eddyad
Replied by eddyad on topic User Guide
Sorry if I wasn't a bit clearer. I certainly wasn't suggestion an extensive guide to networking - just that during installation of the router (especially the USB facility) a number of things need some clarification or extra help for an average PC user, but one entirely new to networking.
I finally managed to get everything working, but the problems I encountered could easily be anticipated in documentation and explained. My post here http://www.forum.draytek.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=13788 explains what happened during the USB setup. So some fairly minor changes to the on-line guides could have saved me (and I think some others) a lot of time and frustration.

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