Is High Speed Internet still new to people?...

[slick]

I couldn't believe this happened, and with someone that wasn't over 60 years of age.
Working at a hotel with free internet access, I always get asked to help with connectivity issues. I always point people to the toll free tech support line that we pay money for, but it always results in us getting more questions from the guest.

DA = dumbass who shouldn't be using a computer
ME = happy hotel operator

DA: I can't connect to the internet.
ME: Are you trying to connect using an ethernet cable.
DA: Yes, and the internet isn't working.
ME: There is a 1-800 number to call for tech support, they will help you.
DA: Do you think its the cable?
ME: Could be, I do not know.
DA: Do you have another cable I can try?
ME: Yes I do, but I would consider calling tech support.
DA: Do you think its the settings on my laptop?
ME: Possibly, there are many variables sir, tech support will assist you better than I can.
DA: Can you come to my room and check it out for me, us old people (he looked to be in his 40's) aren't as handy with computer as the current generation.
ME: I don't think I would be much help, I would be calling the tech support line if I was in the same position, computers can be tricky.
DA: Its a work laptop, do you think they did anything to make it not work here?
ME: Maybe the settings are altered and need to be changed in order to work on our system.
DA: Can you change the settings?
ME: Sir, I am not tech support, but the toll free number provided will connect you to a live person who works for the hotel and can assist you further.
DA: I hate calling those lines, always have to wait, and the person always has an accent, its such a pain.
ME: I have called them before, they are in the US, and all the people speak fluant english, plus, there is almost no wait times.
DA: Okay, I can try them I guess. But let me make sure I am doing this right one last time.
ME: Okay....
DA: So I connect the cable from my laptop to the jack in the wall, right?
ME: Right.
DA: Then I dial XXX-XXX-XXXX and...
ME: Wait, dial?
DA: Yes, dial the number for AOL and...
ME: Sir, that is dial up service, not the high speed we offer.
DA: I don't understand.
ME: Have you actually opened your web browser?
DA: No, it didn't connect yet.
ME: Do me a big favor and try opening it.
DA: Well I'll be damned, its working, and its fast!
ME: Welcome to HIGH SPEED INTERNET.

I've been using DSL since 1998, so its odd for me to find that somebody hasn't heard of high speed in 2007.
I guess I did help the guy and didn't have him waste the tech's time with this silly issue.

[infavorofnaturalselection]

Go into any area outside a large city. You would be surprised at how few people have high speed internet. There is a huge reason why some third world and second world countries have far more high speed internet connections then the United States does. Usually it's mandated/organized by a goverment agency/goverment nationalized corporation or the people are just real tech orientated.

South Korea for instance has one of the highest concentrations of high speed internet users in the world.

[powerboy]

Maybe he lives in an area that does not have High Speed yet.

[freaktard]

That could be. We didn't have DSL available where we live until about two years ago.

[iradney]

shoot, in my country, alot of the people don't even know what the internet IS...

[trunks2k]

Maybe he lives in an area that does not have High Speed yet.

That's probably the case. It's sad that I can't even fathom how a business (he said it's a work laptop) can function without high speed internet, unless it's a shop or something.

[Andara Bledin]

I can't understand how a business that would have any use for it's people to have laptops could not know about networking.

This isn't even a high-speed issue, it's a networking issue. When he plugged in the cable, he joined the hotel network. You can do that even with a dial-up connection, although it would be slower than molassas (what a way to die).

^-.-^

[Becks]

I HAVE heard of HSI, but I don't have it yet, and haven't even used it. For the most part, I get along just fine.

[protege]

Go into any area outside a large city. You would be surprised at how few people have high speed internet.

In some rural areas south of Pittsburgh, there simply aren't enough customers to justify upgrading the lines. 5 years ago, when the phone company *finally* upgraded their lines, it was front page news in several of the smaller counties...since many people were still on party lines, or what few "modern" lines. I have a feeling that the only reason the lines got upgraded, was because 911 service was expanded, and forced it. Otherwise igsfly: would have happened about the same time

It's not just there though--even *in* Pittsburgh, dial-up is still (unfortunately) common, since some people are just cheap. When I started working full-time in '98, my company still used it. However, once we started expanding, there weren't enough phone lines, and we had to get DSL, and later cable.

[Sofar]

D.S.L.'s high-speed? I've got D.S.L. and it's still pretty slow. Probably seems slow because as modems get faster people tuck more useless little images into their web pages.

[SuperB]

Our only option for high speed is satellite up here. People here are just starting to go that route so getting a router and making the house wireless was all new to me as of last year.

[auntiem]

yup, dial up at home because we are in an older neighborhood - hi speed at work.

[Will-Mun]

I HAVE heard of HSI, but I don't have it yet, and haven't even used it. For the most part, I get along just fine.

Trust me when I say... No you don't. I used to think the same thing... "I'm fine with Dial-Up, I can't afford Cable or DSL, so I'll just stick with Dial-Up."

Yee god was I wrong. When I finally came into some money and got my Cable installed, I was in HEAVEN. It is so very awesome.

I have, a few times, had to downgrade to Dial-Up, wether my cable was out, or at someone elses place and it is TORTURE, it is something I could barely endure.

The speed difference is INSTANTLY noticable.

I silently weep for anyone who has Dial-Up.

[Andara Bledin]

Dial up is slow speed no matter what the marketing says.

Satellite, DSL and ADSL, cable, T1, and T3, are all high speed. Satellite being the slowest and T1 & T3 being the fastest with differences based on concurrent bandwidth.

ADSL is a smaller pipe than DSL, and both have speeds dicated by your distance from the local office. If you're close, you'll get really fast access (I was very close and regularly clocked at faster than T1 speeds), but if you're near the end limit, then you can end up slower than satellite due to the resistance over the length of the line.

Cable, if it hasn't been upgraded, will be faster if you're not sharing the connection, but if everyone in your neighborhood is online at once, it will come grinding down into "grandma" mode. (some provider used to have tv ads dissing cable with some guy yelling at his neighborhood to log off) Most cable companies have upgraded their systems, however, so this isn't an issue any longer.

*sigh* I'm stuck with a dial-up connection for another couple weeks until Earthlink can do the install for us. Because of the way the apartment is wired, we can't get DSL service unless we also get phone service.

^-.-^

[tollbaby]

My IP (starts with B and ends with ell) offers regular DSL and High-speed DSL.