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  • High Speed Internet woes (LONG!)

    Yesterday, my internet was laggy, slow, and otherwise useless. A speed test confirms that I'm getting .3mbit down, and .2mbit up. I'm paying for 5 down 800k up. I call the phone co, and they say the circuit I'm on is congested, and they'll move me. I get off the phone and internet is down. This is expected, as they're physically moving my line, so I wander off to play with the puppy.

    I get back, and everything is *STILL* down, so I call in to see what's up.

    Me: My service is still down after I requested a move to a new circuit about 4 hours ago.
    Tech: I show it was 1 hour ago.
    Me: No. I called at 18:00. It's now 22:00. that would be 4 hours.
    Tech: *mumbles something about time zones. I let it go.*
    Me: So. My service is still out. What's going on?
    Tech: What OS is your computer?
    Me: OS X. Snow Leopard.
    Tech: Do you have a router setup?
    Me: Yes. This has nothing to do with the change you guys made 4 hours ago.
    Tech: The router is your problem. It's causing a problem with authentication.
    Me: No. No it's not. The only thing that's changed is what you guys did 4 hours ago.
    Tech: You need to bypass your router.
    Me: *visibly frustrated now* No. I don't. YOU GUYS made a change. NOTHING on my end has changed. Are you even listening to me?
    Tech: Yes. Are you?
    Me: AGH! Give me your supervisor. NOW.
    *tech puts me on hold without another word*

    The supervisor saw the problem almost immediately, and "couldn't" get it fixed that night, but setup a trouble ticket for first thing in the morning. I gave up and went to bed. Next day, everything's up and working, so I resume work where I left off the day before when everything died, until a phone co guy wanders by, and everything goes offline again. I go up and ask what's going on, and he was told that my service was out. I told him everything's fine, explained what happened the night before, and that everything was fine now. He apologized, told me he wasn't told that, and left after making sure my service was back.

    I'm REALLY angry now, so I call them up, and demand a credit for downtime. While demanding one day's credit is generally lame and stupid, I've had enough of their shenanigans.

    Billing: I show our network was fine last night, and that the tech fixed the problem by having you bypass your router.
    Me: O_O
    Me: NO! Don't you EVEN! I requested a circuit change. That tech refused to listen to me, and I had a supervisor take a look. He setup a trouble ticket for today.
    Billing: I can credit you this once. Please hold. *call terminates from his end.*
    Me: ...You asshat. *dials back*
    Me: I was just hung up on. *details issues to this point*
    Billing: I can't believe all that's happened. That's totally unacceptable.
    Me: I completely agree. And honestly, I'm ready to cancel service now. Forget the credit.

    After speaking with their saves department, they offered me 4 times faster speed, at $4 a month less than what I'm paying now. My sucky part was that I really didn't have any intention of canceling going into the call. I used their saves department to get better speed. Sucky, yes, but as I've told them previously, the minute someone else shows up in the area, I'm gone like a $50 bill on the floor of DFW airport. To my credit, this isn't new. I was charged $60 for their free modem when I signed up. To this day, I've had nothing but the absolute best in useless techs, downtime, and sub par service.

    When I call in with a problem, I have to teach the tech how to troubleshoot, how to read a traceroute, and how to tell the difference between speed and latency. Yesterday was the first time I've said "give me a supervisor" and had it not end with either endless hold, transferred back into the queue, or outright being hung up on. I will cancel, just not today.
    Coworker: Distro of choice?
    Me: Gentoo.
    Coworker: Ahh. A Masochist. I thought so.

  • #2
    Maybe you need to switch to a better internet provider. Sounds like they don't know the difference from their ass to a hole in the ground. That's a shame.

    Comment


    • #3
      Quoth Bright_Star View Post
      Maybe you need to switch to a better internet provider. Sounds like they don't know the difference from their ass to a hole in the ground. That's a shame.
      The only problem is, as the OP stated, there aren't any other ISPs in the OP's area.

      I feel your pain, Midorikawa. I had to use Malmart's horrible dial-up service before other providers came to my area, and I had nothing but trouble with them. When they weren't changing the numbers for my area's dial-up, they were cutting my service because of tech error and would refuse to listen when I tried to explain.

      Comment


      • #4
        Quoth Ratha View Post
        The only problem is, as the OP stated, there aren't any other ISPs in the OP's area.

        I feel your pain, Midorikawa. I had to use Malmart's horrible dial-up service before other providers came to my area, and I had nothing but trouble with them. When they weren't changing the numbers for my area's dial-up, they were cutting my service because of tech error and would refuse to listen when I tried to explain.


        That's why Midorikawa is having that kind of problem. No other ISP's in their area means that lone provider can treat their customers any way they want however way they want knowing full well that there aren't any other places to switch to. Lack of options shouldn't mean a total disregard of customer service & satisfaction.

        Comment


        • #5
          Quoth Bright_Star View Post
          Lack of options shouldn't mean a total disregard of customer service & satisfaction.
          Agreed. There's actually many other options in the area, just none that exist where my condo is. There's a group of fiber ISPs in the area under the name Utopia. One of the providers, XMission, has a 50mbit synchronous line for a bit under $70 a month last I looked. They're excellent, local, and there's a Utopia fiber junction box just outside the condo park. The fiber isn't run here because the HOA is run by older folk who feel dialup is fine and this "newfangled fiber thing" - their words, not mine - is just asking for trouble.

          As a geek, I have wet dreams over having that fiber line in my condo. :-P
          Coworker: Distro of choice?
          Me: Gentoo.
          Coworker: Ahh. A Masochist. I thought so.

          Comment


          • #6
            You use Verizon, right?

            Been there, done that.

            Static appearing on the line when it is raining or windy outside? Totally the fault of my router!




            This situation has still yet to be resolved. Its been ongoing for almost a year, however it is summer and thus, not very raining or windy, and so the problem is very minor currently. Once winter storms roll around? Its hell.

            Comment


            • #7
              I know of some people who instead of getting internet service get a smart phone with an unlimited data plan, and hook it up to their computers when the want to use teh intarwebz. I have no idea if that'll work for what you're doing, but maybe you could look into it?
              The High Priest is an Illusion!

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth Midorikawa View Post
                As a geek, I have wet dreams over having that fiber line in my condo. :-P
                At those prices, I quite agree with you.

                Maybe you should run for a seat on your local HOA?
                The Rich keep getting richer because they keep doing what it was that made them rich. Ditto the Poor.
                "Hy kan tell dey is schmot qvestions, dey is makink my head hurt."
                Hoc spatio locantur.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Quoth ArcticChicken View Post
                  I know of some people who instead of getting internet service get a smart phone with an unlimited data plan, and hook it up to their computers when the want to use teh intarwebz. I have no idea if that'll work for what you're doing, but maybe you could look into it?
                  Seconded. The reason I'm still using an ancient Nokia 6256i is because I can tether it to my laptop and get free wireless broadband. (OK, so it uses up my minutes with frightening rapidity, but after 9PM or on weekends I have unlimited minutes, therefore free.) I don't need this when I'm in my house, because the DSL finally works OK once they ran a new line straight to the NID, but on the road it's a great option. I dunno what an unlimited data plan would cost in your area, but it's probably at least competitive with the service that you're not getting.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Quoth Hyndis View Post
                    You use Verizon, right?
                    Nope. Qwest...as in "The qwest to figure out wtf happened to my internet connection yet again." :-P

                    Quoth ArcticChicken View Post
                    I know of some people who instead of getting internet service get a smart phone with an unlimited data plan, and hook it up to their computers when the want to use teh intarwebz. I have no idea if that'll work for what you're doing, but maybe you could look into it?
                    It won't. I run an IRC server, and I need to have ssh access from work/on the road, which requires an always on connection. Sprint is rolling out 4g to the area, but there's no 4G here yet. That means a slower connection than I'm getting now, for about the same cost.
                    Coworker: Distro of choice?
                    Me: Gentoo.
                    Coworker: Ahh. A Masochist. I thought so.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I'm waiting with baited breath for this new company in our area with a 4G wireless to extend their network to our area. Half the price of my current DSL for twice the speed FTW.
                      *checks their site and current coverage maps*
                      Hey, they've gotten some work done in the past couple weeks... My road is now under the pretty green blob of their supposed coverage.
                      I guess its time to look into a new phone/internet provider.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Quoth Midorikawa View Post
                        Nope. Qwest...as in "The qwest to figure out wtf happened to my internet connection yet again." :-P
                        Don't get me started on them. You should see some of the stunts they've pulled in New Mexico.
                        It's floating wicker propelled by fire!

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth Midorikawa View Post
                          Agreed. There's actually many other options in the area, just none that exist where my condo is. There's a group of fiber ISPs in the area under the name Utopia. One of the providers, XMission, has a 50mbit synchronous line for a bit under $70 a month last I looked. They're excellent, local, and there's a Utopia fiber junction box just outside the condo park. The fiber isn't run here because the HOA is run by older folk who feel dialup is fine and this "newfangled fiber thing" - their words, not mine - is just asking for trouble.

                          As a geek, I have wet dreams over having that fiber line in my condo. :-P
                          yet another reason HOAs need to be killed off. They shouldn't be able to decide something like that.

                          I live in the land of Verizon FIOS but don't want to give up cable cause of the on demand stuff......sigh.

                          btw since when can they just change circuits on the fly like that.....I work in dsl support/installs/lnp for a phone company and it's never a quick process like that.
                          https://www.youtube.com/user/HedgeTV
                          Great YouTube channel check it out!

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Quoth telecom_goddess View Post
                            btw since when can they just change circuits on the fly like that.....I work in dsl support/installs/lnp for a phone company and it's never a quick process like that.
                            Never said it was quick by internet standards, but it does only take about 30 minutes to an hour, at least, it has last several times I had a circuit change.
                            Coworker: Distro of choice?
                            Me: Gentoo.
                            Coworker: Ahh. A Masochist. I thought so.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              heh. I can go you one better I'm with Bell (Sympatico Wimax service, which is delivered via cell phone signal - so if it rains or there's a storm or someone looks at it funny, the service goes all wonky and won't hold), and whenever there's a problem with ANYTHING to do with the service, they tell me it's my router, and they can't support that.

                              Thing is, I don't HAVE a router!!!!!!
                              GK/Kara/Jester fangirl.

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