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so far.
Have been on smartphone data for the last 3 days (sucks trying to reply to posts or do anything mod like w/an iPhone 4 size screen)
Actually, this saga began almost a year ago with Death Star DSL, which had been our ISP since it was known as HellSouth Fast Access some years ago (can't recall how many years I've been with them . . . I want to say roughly a decade.)
Last winter, we had issues w/our speed dropping. Had a tech come out, made some adjustments at the box outside the house and left. Seemed to straighten out for a bit, then I had to call back a few weeks later for same issue. This time, tech sent a new router (same model as the one they had just sent me not two years earlier to replace the out of date one we had gotten when we first signed up.) Installed it myself and called to finish the installation and got it running. Seemed okay for about a couple of weeks (IIRC) and had to call tech support again. After explaining about the first tech's visit and the new router, they set up yet another home visit.
Different tech came out, not only went through the house and checked the phone jacks and the router, but also went underneath the house to check the wiring in person. Turned out part of it was spliced, using a different type of cabling apparently, so this one thought it accounted for the issues w/speed. Got everything back running again and left.
Flash forward to last fall, when we had a couple of weeks of heavy rains (more like Monsoon Season came early) and not only did this affect our Internet service, but also our land line service. October Ihad to call when I made it home from the eye doctor (I recall this b/c I was on vacation that week and Mom and I were stuck waiting for a late SCAT pickup from the doctor's office and didn't get home until almost 6!) and had to call tech support b/c my brother was having a major meltdown about the internet going down again. Recorded message saying there wa a major issue that they were working on in our area and estimated that it could be Saturday before it was straightened out. It was back on roughly 2 hours later.
Meanwhile, we had some intermittent static on the land line phone . . . which grew worse as the month progressed. By November, it was so bad, we couldn't use the phone to make or receive calls. So Mom called using my brother's mobile phone and set up for a tech to come out, which they called back and rescheduled several times over the next 2 1/2 weeks!!!
It was right after Thanksgiving before somebody came out and finally got the line back working again. 
Also that month, we had switched banks and gotten new debit cards, so Mom had to call Death Star to update her information, as the landline phone and internet were bundled into one bill that she had put on automatic payment for the 3rd of the month (had this set up at least 2 years ago.)
Then, the DSL started up with the dropping the connection for a few moments and then reconnecting itself to the point where I had to call back again for tech support three weekends ago. Then, after it was once again straightened out, it started up again last week and again, last Sunday, I had to call back. Tech had me log into the router settings page and made a couple of adjustments and then everything seemed fine.
Monday and Tuesday the dropping started again. On Wednesday, Mom called me at work to let me know that the Internet was off and so was the land line (we were talking about having it turned off next year but had not decided at that point yet when exactly.) She and my brother had come home from Wallyworld (where they went after dropping me off at work at 6 for last minute stuff for christmas dinner and pet stuff) and my brother tried to log in on his PS3 and no Internet.
Turned out, no phone either so Mom called Death Star . . . apparently they turned us off for non payment, to which my mother promptly reminded them of the auto payment set up for the 3rd of the month to prevent just that from happening.
Apparently, their computer had a glitch and didn't take out the payment on the 3rd but tried on the 20th. To which my mother told the rep that was not her fault their computer screwed up and she'd be glad to make a double payment next week when her January checks come in. She was told they couldn't do that, as they had adopted new policies.
So Mom told them what they could do with their policies and that they had lost a nearly 40 year customer (we have had the same phone number since 1978 and she had gotten the phone turned on in her name after she and Dad had separated and we moved into a different house.)
So she called me to find out where else we could get internet. Only other option for us is Cable Company. So after hanging up an calling me yet again b/c she couldn't get Information to get her the number for local cable company office, I looked it up and gave it to her.
She called back a 3rd time that morning to let me know that Cable Company was scheduled to come out on Saturday (today) between 12-4 to install digital phone, internet and television. So for around $150/month for 12 months (I think) we're getting all 3, which is cheaper than our last Dish bill ($183 and we had scaled back the package, cancelled all the premiums except for Starz and Showtime and cancelled the monthly magazine and maintenance plan and it still goes up.
)
She still has to call back on Monday b/c the phone installation wasn't completed. We have 3 phones in different rooms, the modem is in the dining room. We have to have additonal stuff done to connect those phones to the modem w/out having to move them into the dining room and directly connecting them to the modem (according to the installer who came out) and we don't have our Encore pack and also we were supposed to have all 6 tv's connected but the installer's instructions only called for 3 tv's (so we have two bedrooms and my office connected so far and I've got the whole house DVR
)
At least we've got the guide set up on the tv's so we can scroll through just our favorite channels (couldn't do that before and that was why we went to satellite to begin with years ago) and I've still got to figure out how to work the DVR part of my box and get my shows set up for recording, but the Internet's working again and I can enjoy my Nat Geo Wild and ID.
And we've got all the Dish equipment in the living room in a laundry basket (so we can keep everything together) waiting for someone to come pick them up (Mom's making that call Monday morning and then make arrangements to pay off that bill so if we ever have to go back to them, we can) call Death Star to send her the final bill so we can pay that off and good riddance.
So that was the extent of my Christmas . . . how was ya'lls?
Have been on smartphone data for the last 3 days (sucks trying to reply to posts or do anything mod like w/an iPhone 4 size screen)
Actually, this saga began almost a year ago with Death Star DSL, which had been our ISP since it was known as HellSouth Fast Access some years ago (can't recall how many years I've been with them . . . I want to say roughly a decade.)
Last winter, we had issues w/our speed dropping. Had a tech come out, made some adjustments at the box outside the house and left. Seemed to straighten out for a bit, then I had to call back a few weeks later for same issue. This time, tech sent a new router (same model as the one they had just sent me not two years earlier to replace the out of date one we had gotten when we first signed up.) Installed it myself and called to finish the installation and got it running. Seemed okay for about a couple of weeks (IIRC) and had to call tech support again. After explaining about the first tech's visit and the new router, they set up yet another home visit.
Different tech came out, not only went through the house and checked the phone jacks and the router, but also went underneath the house to check the wiring in person. Turned out part of it was spliced, using a different type of cabling apparently, so this one thought it accounted for the issues w/speed. Got everything back running again and left.
Flash forward to last fall, when we had a couple of weeks of heavy rains (more like Monsoon Season came early) and not only did this affect our Internet service, but also our land line service. October Ihad to call when I made it home from the eye doctor (I recall this b/c I was on vacation that week and Mom and I were stuck waiting for a late SCAT pickup from the doctor's office and didn't get home until almost 6!) and had to call tech support b/c my brother was having a major meltdown about the internet going down again. Recorded message saying there wa a major issue that they were working on in our area and estimated that it could be Saturday before it was straightened out. It was back on roughly 2 hours later.
Meanwhile, we had some intermittent static on the land line phone . . . which grew worse as the month progressed. By November, it was so bad, we couldn't use the phone to make or receive calls. So Mom called using my brother's mobile phone and set up for a tech to come out, which they called back and rescheduled several times over the next 2 1/2 weeks!!!
It was right after Thanksgiving before somebody came out and finally got the line back working again. Also that month, we had switched banks and gotten new debit cards, so Mom had to call Death Star to update her information, as the landline phone and internet were bundled into one bill that she had put on automatic payment for the 3rd of the month (had this set up at least 2 years ago.)
Then, the DSL started up with the dropping the connection for a few moments and then reconnecting itself to the point where I had to call back again for tech support three weekends ago. Then, after it was once again straightened out, it started up again last week and again, last Sunday, I had to call back. Tech had me log into the router settings page and made a couple of adjustments and then everything seemed fine.
Monday and Tuesday the dropping started again. On Wednesday, Mom called me at work to let me know that the Internet was off and so was the land line (we were talking about having it turned off next year but had not decided at that point yet when exactly.) She and my brother had come home from Wallyworld (where they went after dropping me off at work at 6 for last minute stuff for christmas dinner and pet stuff) and my brother tried to log in on his PS3 and no Internet.
Turned out, no phone either so Mom called Death Star . . . apparently they turned us off for non payment, to which my mother promptly reminded them of the auto payment set up for the 3rd of the month to prevent just that from happening.
Apparently, their computer had a glitch and didn't take out the payment on the 3rd but tried on the 20th. To which my mother told the rep that was not her fault their computer screwed up and she'd be glad to make a double payment next week when her January checks come in. She was told they couldn't do that, as they had adopted new policies.
So Mom told them what they could do with their policies and that they had lost a nearly 40 year customer (we have had the same phone number since 1978 and she had gotten the phone turned on in her name after she and Dad had separated and we moved into a different house.)
So she called me to find out where else we could get internet. Only other option for us is Cable Company. So after hanging up an calling me yet again b/c she couldn't get Information to get her the number for local cable company office, I looked it up and gave it to her.
She called back a 3rd time that morning to let me know that Cable Company was scheduled to come out on Saturday (today) between 12-4 to install digital phone, internet and television. So for around $150/month for 12 months (I think) we're getting all 3, which is cheaper than our last Dish bill ($183 and we had scaled back the package, cancelled all the premiums except for Starz and Showtime and cancelled the monthly magazine and maintenance plan and it still goes up.
)She still has to call back on Monday b/c the phone installation wasn't completed. We have 3 phones in different rooms, the modem is in the dining room. We have to have additonal stuff done to connect those phones to the modem w/out having to move them into the dining room and directly connecting them to the modem (according to the installer who came out) and we don't have our Encore pack and also we were supposed to have all 6 tv's connected but the installer's instructions only called for 3 tv's (so we have two bedrooms and my office connected so far and I've got the whole house DVR
)At least we've got the guide set up on the tv's so we can scroll through just our favorite channels (couldn't do that before and that was why we went to satellite to begin with years ago) and I've still got to figure out how to work the DVR part of my box and get my shows set up for recording, but the Internet's working again and I can enjoy my Nat Geo Wild and ID.
And we've got all the Dish equipment in the living room in a laundry basket (so we can keep everything together) waiting for someone to come pick them up (Mom's making that call Monday morning and then make arrangements to pay off that bill so if we ever have to go back to them, we can) call Death Star to send her the final bill so we can pay that off and good riddance.
So that was the extent of my Christmas . . . how was ya'lls?
