When I say my modem is failing, IT MEANS MY MODEM IS FAILING. That is all.

[frau kaleun]

First of all, the icon for this thread should be a big fat , not just a sad face. Because dammit!

So I get my hi speed internet through the local phone company's DSL service. Since about mid-July there's been a problem with connectivity which comes and goes, and by "problem" I mean I boot up the computer and all the lights on the modem that should be lit are lit until something happens that actually requires activity over the modem, i.e., I go online for something. At which point the internet light goes out and and then it and the DSL light will blink off and on with the connection coming and going for maybe an hour before it dies completely. A few hours later I come back and it will be fine until I shut things down.

The first couple of times this happened we were having really bad weather and since the connection eventually returned and was maintained I didn't worry about it. THEN starting the middle of last week I had seven straight days of it. The first two evenings, again, really bad weather in the area so I was, like, whatevs. But then over the weekend the weather cleared and I was still having problems. They seemed to be limited to what I would consider the "peak" usage hours - early evenings during the week and then afternoons and evenings on the weekend. But then again my computer usage usually follows the same general schedule from day to day, so it was hard to say if the day/time really had anything to do with it, or it was just happening based on when I happened to turn on the rig and tried to get online which doesn't vary all that much.

Anyway when Monday rolled around with no improvement I called support and they had me do a bunch of stuff (most of which I'd already tried) and checked a bunch of stuff on their end and still had no clue what was wrong. My gut feeling was that the modem was failing and needed to be replaced, but at any rate they decided a service call was in order. Fine, come out and test stuff, if there's a problem find it, while you're here you can replace my modem or at least verify that the modem isn't the problem. Couldn't arrange an appt. until this afternoon so I was kinda stuck with the issue until then.

Tuesday night and Wednesday night I had the same problems and was just tearing my hair out. Kept checking my wireless network to make sure no one was on there doing anything, it's password protected so - no. I reinstalled the router and changed everything just in case. It all works fine but still I have a bad connection. All local diagnostics are telling me it's the modem anyway.

Thursday I stopped to get some Chinese carryout and there's a little locally owned computer shop near there, I've bought and sold stuff there before and they are very knowledgable and friendly. So I figured I'd follow my hunch and see if they had a used DSL modem for sale that had been tested and definitely worked. They did.

Brought it home and between then and the time the tech got here spent numerous hours switching between the two modems. Results: modem provided by phone company, no stable connection; spare DSL modem from shop, rock solid connection. I'd have the old modem on there, boot up the computer, go online, watch the lights blink out and when the connection died, replace it with the new modem and as soon as it got up and running my connection would be back. After 10-15 minutes of uninterrupted connection I'd put the old modem back on and *boom* no connection, just like that. Rinse and repeat at random and/or any time the connection died on the old modem with the same results. Seems pretty conclusive to me.

So the tech calls this afternoon to confirm the appt. and I say, fine, come on out, but I think the modem is failing and I've been testing the connection with a spare one and it's fine, it's only a problem using the modem you guys gave me. You can check everything else but the modem needs to be replaced. Guy arrives, I tell him the same thing, I even demonstrate it by switching out the modems in front of him so he can see that the connection is there and fine, but their modem is not working while the spare one (I told him I "borrowed" one because I didn't want him to think he didn't have to provide a replacement for their busted one) works fine on the same connection with no other variables involved.

He then plugs the line into his phone company tricorder and tells me that there's a problem with the connection into my apartment, he will have to check all the jacks and the lines that come into the building from outside. I end up having to empty out two bookshelves and move a bunch of furniture so he can do the work on the jacks, he decides the problem is in the jacks in my apartment, plus he's telling me that I shouldn't have this hooked into that or be running one thing through another and I say, okay, but I've had things set up this way for YEARS and it's never been a problem. And none of that explains why everything works fine with *this* modem but doesn't work with the one you guys gave me. "Yeah but when you do this and do that eventually the errors build up and then you have a bad connection and look the speed into the building is this but you're only getting that and that's because of this that and the other thing and I'm gonna take care of that and you should be fine."

OKAY WHATEVER. So he does whatever he does and then shows me on his tricorder how much faster it is now that he changed this and that, great. I'm trying to sort out all the stuff I moved and start putting it back and he's says I'm good to go, well thank you kind sir and out he goes.

I sit down at the computer about 45 minutes later and click on something in my Favorites menu to hit up a web page and wouldn't you know it, my internet connection dies. I look at the modem, which is stuck off to the side cuz I haven't had a chance to put anything on my desk back the way it was. The internet light is out, the dsl light is blinking furiously, and it's the SAME DAMN MODEM I HAD WHEN HE GOT HERE because after all of that the one thing he did NOT do was replace the modem.

Edit: I'm so irritated I just hit the Submit button by accident. And it submitted my post and here it is. You know why? BECAUSE I'M NOT USING THE BUSTED MODEM THE PHONE COMPANY CAME ALL THE WAY OUT HERE NOT TO REPLACE. That's why.

Anyhoo at least I do have a modem that works, but they are supposed to provide me with a working one, I'm not supposed to have to buy one for myself because theirs only last a couple years and then crap out which they won't admit even when you demonstrate it to them in person. So I've emailed support saying they need to send me a new modem. We'll see what happens.

[Sailor Steve]

Best of luck. I don't have your problem because I have service through a cable company. What I have instead is a modem that shuts down every other day. It only takes a minute to reboot it so I keep putting off complaining about it.

So if you went with some other company you wouldn't have these problems. You'd have other problems instead.

[Wreford-Brown]

I really do empathise with you Frau K. I've had internet connections in Canada, Northern Ireland, mainland UK and Germany and have always had issues. Fortunately in most cases I've had decent customer service and they've managed to sort me out. It sounds like you either got one of your providers trained monkeys (if A is wrong do B. If B doesn't work do C etc.) or an independent sub-contractor who will have charged your provider for the substantial amount of work he did at your place regardless of whether he solved the problem or not.

At least you have an interim solution, and fingers crossed for your provider getting their arse in gear and sorting you out.

[frau kaleun]

The thing is, generally speaking I like their service. The other big provider here is through the cable company and the phone company's service has been far more reliable over the years. It's not like the cable goes out all the time, but it goes out more often. I've got a cable box right now that has to be completely rebooted every time I turn it on, I've just been too busy with other stuff to bother getting it checked and replaced - which would probably involve sitting around waiting on another service tech.

The guy who came today was very nice, very professional, and yes my connection is faster - but that doesn't do me any good if the modem isn't working. I also know that they told me if there was any work that had to be done inside I might be charged for it and if that happens I won't be very happy about it since nothing that was done actually fixed the problem.

The last time I had issues with it, it was all about the speed which had gotten abysmal. I called and the rep checked some stuff and then started asking "how often" I used the internet. I told him it didn't make any difference since I was paying for "always on" hi speed connectivity. He kinda hemmed and hawed and then said that it looked like "someone" had downgraded my connection to "match" my usage. Then he upgraded it again and after that I had my usual speeds back.

Well at that time I had the modem on a "master switch" that turned off everything - monitor, speakers, etc. - except the computer itself. So when I shut down I would hit the switch and the modem would be turned off until I got on the computer again. So I guess they saw that I was only connected for a few hours a day and decided I didn't need "that much" internet. But hey you know what? I'm still paying for a certain level of speed that I'm not getting for the few hours I *am* online. Now my modem is on 24/7 but I think that ends up reducing its lifespan. The one I had before was the original I'd had since getting the service ages ago, and it was still working fine when they switched it for the current one which has only lasted maybe 3 years of being on all the time.

And I noticed they didn't downgrade my bill to match my downgraded service, either.

We have the same service at work and it was going off and on for several days and it took several calls and 2-3 service calls before the last guy said "oh your modem is failing" and just replaced it. I don't know why that wouldn't be the first thing they test but they're so focused on your speed and what's wrong with your line and what they think you have plugged in wrong that the modem is the last thing they want to bother with.

Anyway - we'll see how it goes. I'm hoping they'll just get me another modem, I don't appear to need it but it's the principle of the thing. The guys at the computer shop recommend Clear internet service which uses a wireless signal like a cell phone does, it's available in this area but since I hope to be moving at some point in the future I don't want to get something and then find out it's not available (or that the signal is lousy) wherever I end up.

[Betonov]

Start threatening them you'll change the ISP. If they wont budge they don't care, go to someone else.

At least you can.

My connection comes and goes, depends on the weather. And everytime it goes my mother goes into a rage mode because she can't talk on Skype and I have to reboot the modem every 10 seconds because I cant explain to her that the ISP has screwed up.

The tragic thing is we got a free opctic conection made to our house, but by a different ISP provider and we only change companies and I'll have optics, but no, mother likes the current ISP provider

[TarJak]

Over here you buy the modem so if it craps out you have to replace it at your cost. Means you are more in control.

[d@rk51d3]

Just been through similar circumstances. Connections dropping out for no reason. No amount of resetting would bring it back, then out of the blue, all would be good again. After 12 months, got sick of the runaround and bought myself a new modem/wireless router.

All good now...... touch wood.

[Jimbuna]

Had similar problems in recent times but nothing like the level your experiencing.

My ISP sends a technician out next day if they can't put it right via the phone conversation and reimburse you a days rental for each six hours your service is faulty.

Never used to be that considerate but there is a lot of competition out there in the UK marketplace.

[kiwi_2005]

Go out and buy another DSL modem, and send the crappy one back to them with a bill for the new one. Were the same with Tarjak, we have to buy our modem, i bought 2 one for backup.

[Onkel Neal]

Wow, that sounds like my luck. Problem is, there are not many alternatives for hi speed ISPs. So threatening to switch... to who?

[kraznyi_oktjabr]

I have had one modem break. ISP reps tested it via internet connection and said connection between modem and them worked but not forward to my computer. They recommended testing with another cable and if it doesn't work - call again so they send new modem. No such hassle like you had.

P.S. My parents have wireless and you can check from weather forecast how well it works...

[antikristuseke]

I am one of the few lucky bastards to have a fiber optic cable run directly into my appartment and my ISP has been superb so far. That said when I have had technical difficulties the techs have taken my word for it without much hassle and have gotten things sorted in the way I have asked.

[Bubblehead Nuke]

I have DSL via AT&T and their customer support SUCKS unless you know the lingo. They absolutely REFUSE to believe that an end user can diagnose a problem.

WAY back when I first got DSL I learned this:

If you are SURE of the problem, immediately ask for tier 2 support. I just advised them that I am already on page 36 of thier 4 page flowchart.

If they protest further, tell them that you have already troubleshot the problem from the jack to the DSLAM and that it is beyond that so the problem is on their end.

As soon as you mention DSLAM, their eyes go glazed and they ask is you work for them.

Sometimes you will get one that insists on doing the flowchart and you just have to go though the process. IF that happenes you get their name and ask that that they please note on the ticket that you have completed tier 1 support. MAKE sure you get thier operator number and open ticket number. It will help you later on if you have to call back.

When I had the problem with my DSL modem, I told them up front that I swapped in a known good unit and the problem went away. When I swap back in the original the problem comes back. Then ask them how it is a configuration problem. I advised that going though the checklist is a moot point. I asked that they send me a modem and save on the field hours.

All it takes in one or two tech support calls where you have them document that you were correct and they pretty much do what you ask of them from that point on.

For me, the phone call is now a quick stopping point to tier 2 support.

[frau kaleun]

We have fioptic service but it's provided by the same company I get DSL from and I don't know if it's available yet in this neighborhood.

Anyway - their response to my email was to call me at 8 AM this morning and wake me from a sound sleep to see what could be done to resolve my issues. Well, not calling me at 8 freaking AM on a Sunday morning would do for starters, lol. I mean kudos for calling me back the next day but a business call to someone's home at 8 AM on a weekend? NOT COOL. On my job I don't call people at home before 10 AM unless they request it, even on a weekday. Even telemarketers don't call that early, lol.

So I was NOT happy and made that pretty clear, especially when the rep wanted to have a long conversation about my service and basically do all the same stuff that was covered in my first phone call before the tech ever came out. WTF lady I just told you that you woke me up and now you want to go through this BS again? "Well if you'd like to give us a time when you'd prefer us to call you back so we can resolve this..."

I told her they could resolve my current "issue" by sending me another modem because I'm not going through all that other nonsense again when I have already verified that there IS a problem with the modem. "Well we can do that but..." No, you can do that or this particular conversation is over. "We'd like to try to..." SEND ME A FREAKING MODEM. "Ma'am I'm just trying to help resolve the issues with you service, there's no guarantee that..."

So I told her again that they had just woken me up from a sound sleep and I wasn't going to sit on the phone to discuss issues with my service that were already well documented in their records and my email, and that they could resolve my current issue by not calling me again at that hour and by sending me another modem, and to let me know when they decided to do that.

Rolled over to try and go back to sleep and she CALLS ME BACK and when I answer she just picks up the conversation where she left off, talking about checking this and checking that and the lines this and the lines that. I could not believe it. I told her that I'd already been through all of that, a tech had already been out here and checked my apartment and the building itself, if they wanted to send people to check the lines in our neighborhood fine, but I have a modem that doesn't work which I already KNOW is the problem because replacing it with a different modem solves the problem I initially reported. "Well we can send you another modem but we can't guarantee that it will..." NO BUT I CAN YOU DAFT BINT. Maybe you could guarantee it if your techs actually tested modems that customers reported as dodgy but apparently they don't bother to do that.

And she just kept talking about all the things they could try to get my service sorted out, blah blah blah. Finally I just yelled at her that I was NOT going to have this conversation right now, send me another modem or not, YES OR NO, very simple, answer the question or I'm done. So she agreed to send me another modem and verified my address and said it would go out in 2-3 business days.

Sheesh.

[Sailor Steve]

Wow! Good for you! I'm a wimp, and usually let people like that run roughshod over me before I finally reach my limit. Sometime in not-your-thread I'll tell you story of my ex-wife and the magazine salesman.