GRAY BEARD GEEK
Professional help with home automation, entertainment and computer systems.
In and around Ithaca, NY.
I come to you - home visits a speciality.
Still not able to print reliably?
Struggling to connect doorbells, locks, lighting and audio to Alexa?
Laptop slowing down?
Want help setting up that new home cinema system?
SERVICES
Everything to do with home technology
I can help with all these various areas of home computing, networking and automation.
All too often these things do not work straight out of the box, they need careful setup and configuration in ways that may not be immediately obvious - especially when the manual seems to be written in impenetrable English.
I'll come to your house and help you get it working, and explain how to keep it working.
LAPTOPS, COMPUTERS & PRINTERS
Laptop or PC slowing down, or just not behaving properly? Some software playing up? Intermittent wi-fi performance?
It happens - that what I'm here for.
HOME AUTOMATION
All things to do with Alexa and Google Home, and the things that connect to them - or should connect to them: Spotify, mains plugs, doorbells, locks, lighting, HVAC etc.
It's all about Skills...
ROUTERS, WI-FI & BLUETOOTH
Struggling to set up your router properly? Modem wont talk to router? Conflicting IP addresses? 2.4G keeps disappearing? Not able to print from your phone as designed? Worried about router security?
That's what I do...
HOME NETWORKING AND NETWORK ATTACHED STORAGE (NAS)
Setting up fast and reliable networking to all areas in your home.
Installing NAS hard disk system with RAID arrays for storing all your precious music, photos and files in a fully secure and redundant system.
HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Selecting and configuring music and home cinema systems, especially wireless, and connecting them to the rest of the home network.
HOME SECURITY
Doorbells, locks, camera, alarms etc. Secure your home from intruders - while you're at home and while away.
Make sure that your home network is protected from hackers.
NEW PROJECTS
You may have no current issues, but are thinking about a whole new project or installation - and you might want help specifying the kit you need, and then planning how it will all work with your existing home network. I can help with that too.
ABOUT ME
The Gray Beard Geek
I’m Neil Cameron, the Gray Beard Geek; a British IT consultant for global law firms for over 30 years I am now living in Ithaca in semi-retirement working with humans struggling with domestic technology.
A gadget freak since my early teens I have enjoyed wrangling computer hardware and software to behave in the way that they are supposed to as described on the box.
Starting with hi-fi, early computers, photography, printing etc I moved into home networking, home automation, high end audio and home cinema.
Over 20 years ago I had a robot lawn mower, a 5.1 surround sound projection home cinema, and domestic lighting I could control from a PC.
My experience learned over the years in getting stuff to work as designed (while tearing my own hair out) can now be applied to helping you with your own version of gadget hell.
HOW IT WORKS
YOU CONTACT ME
Give me a call or send me an email setting out what your problem is.
I COME OUT TO YOU
We'll schedule a mutually convenient time, and I'll come round to discuss the problem in more detail and start working on it.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
My initial call out charge is $40.
When I start working on the problem my time is charged at $80 per hour - the call out charge is deducted from the first hour.
Once we have identified the issues, I will give you an idea of how long it might take, and how much it might cost.
With the best will in the world, these will be estimates, as it is often difficult to gauge the depths of an IT problem at the start.
NO FIX NO FEE
After the call out charge is applied, if I can't fix the problem within a reasonable amount of time there is no further charge for any of my work.
TESTIMONIALS
My Clients’ Experiences
“Neil came when he said he would and diagnosed various problems in our TV setup with various add-ons. For those he could not immediately solve he researched from his home and made recommendations. Our TV setup is now up and running again, thanks to Neil."
Peter Davies, Ithaca
"Sharing a great experience! My desktop lost its audio and I am nearly illiterate about computers and totally unable to load one into my car to take to Computer Room. Plus, with my level of tech ignorance, I know I would have paid a whole lot of money for a simple fix. I called the gentleman in the ad on the Nextdoor page described as 'Graybeard Geek', and he came to my house in 24 hrs, fixed my computer in 5 minutes and wouldn't even take his usual (very reasonable) charge because he repair was so easy. What a beam of sunlight. Do call on him when you need any kind of tech repair."
Phyllis Smith-Hanson, Ithaca/Brooktondale
