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

Onkel Neal · 08-05-12, 08:57 AM

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 · 08-05-12, 10:55 AM

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 · 08-05-12, 11:11 AM

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 · 08-05-12, 12:28 PM

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 · 08-05-12, 12:40 PM

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 · 08-05-12, 01:09 PM

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.

kraznyi_oktjabr · 08-05-12, 02:42 PM

Did you ask where you can donate hearing aids? Sounds like someone needs one more than I do...

nikimcbee · 08-05-12, 04:08 PM

Did you check to see if its plugged in?
reboot computer.

Pisces · 08-05-12, 06:32 PM

If you have the router or modem on a master switch and turn it of frequently then it maybe that the cable/DSL network of the ISP detects this as a sign of dodgy cable connection. And then throttles down the bandwidth to maintain the connection for longer time. Their equipment can't tell you deliberately switched it off.

So, put your computer, speakers, usb-hub, printer on a master switch, but not the modem! Leave that one powered 24/7.

08-05-12, 08:57 AM	#1
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,385 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Wow, that sounds like my luck. Problem is, there are not many alternatives for hi speed ISPs. So threatening to switch... to who? __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

08-05-12, 10:55 AM	#2
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	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... __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

08-05-12, 01:09 PM	#6
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	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. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

08-05-12, 02:42 PM	#7
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Did you ask where you can donate hearing aids? Sounds like someone needs one more than I do... __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

08-05-12, 06:32 PM	#9
Pisces Silent Hunter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: AN9771 Posts: 4,904 Downloads: 304 Uploads: 0	If you have the router or modem on a master switch and turn it of frequently then it maybe that the cable/DSL network of the ISP detects this as a sign of dodgy cable connection. And then throttles down the bandwidth to maintain the connection for longer time. Their equipment can't tell you deliberately switched it off. So, put your computer, speakers, usb-hub, printer on a master switch, but not the modem! Leave that one powered 24/7. __________________ My site downloads: https://ricojansen.nl/downloads

08-05-12, 11:11 AM	#3
antikristuseke Silent Hunter Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Estland Posts: 4,330 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	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.

08-05-12, 12:28 PM	#4
Bubblehead Nuke XO Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 435 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	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.

08-05-12, 12:40 PM	#5
frau kaleun Rear Admiral Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Skyri--oh who are we kidding, I'm probably at Lowe's. Again. Posts: 12,706 Downloads: 168 Uploads: 0	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.

08-05-12, 04:08 PM	#8
nikimcbee Fleet Admiral Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Patroling the Slot. Posts: 17,952 Downloads: 90 Uploads: 0	Did you check to see if its plugged in? reboot computer.