My Piss-poor ISP

[crokett]

My ISP is my local podunk telco. I have DSL only, no voice. Thursday night my 'net connection was sketchy enough that I went into the office instead of working from home. Friday AM my wife calls and says it has finally crapped out. I called in a ticket and jacked it as high up as I could with them - I have pager duty and would be SOL with no 'net connection. I call Friday evening after not getting a call back and they can't find the ticket nor can they find my account info. According to them I don't exist.

I opened a new ticket and was told they would call Saturday to come onsite. I didn't really believe it but hoped anyway. After getting paged out Saturday night and Sunday morning and having to drive 30 miles to the office each time with pissed off customers I called back to the podunks this AM and was told somebody would call me. Nobody did. I left work early today to take the modem in - SWAGged it would be the modem. It's not, its the line somewhere. When that didn't work I called again, the dumbasses couldn't find the ticket (again) then the rep finally admitted it had been closed. Supposedly somebody came out, no one was home, he tested the line outside, it was ok so he closed it.

Total BS.

a) my wife was home all day
b) I got home about when he said he was out there
c) The new modem doesn't work either. So no way they tested the lines.

I explained this to the rep on the phone and he said to give them till noon tomorrow before I call back.

I was able to dump the pager tonight and tomorrow night but that means I get to carry it over my brother's birthday in a few weeks.

Stupid Mebtel. No cable service in my area so they have no competition. Could go with satellite but I don't want to pay more money for half the speed.

Can I test the lines with a multimeter for at least voltage? What voltage would I be looking for?

[cgallery]

I live among numerous tech heads (just lucky, I guess). Two have DSL, three have cable, and across the street has a T1. At various times we have all used each other's connections (via wireless). We update each other on key changes (waiting until your connection is down to find someone else's key doesn't work--it could be 2am).

Have any neighbors within range?

[rjwaldren]

If you can - unplug the house wiring at the telco box, let it set for a few minutes so the line clears and plug the modem directly into the telco box. I had a filter that shorted once - it was left behind where a phone was no longer installed. I like to never found it and was convinced it was outside because I didn't wait long enough for the line to reset. When testing out from the telco box the line appeared dead, it took the onsite tech about 5 min and a service fee to turn my face red.

It was the only time a DSL failure has been on my end but I was convinced it was their problem though they always say it is. I'm not saying you it's your problem but make sure to CYA.

If you can plug directly into the modem with your PC you may be able to browse or telnet into the modem and run the diagnostics. Alot of times if you this helps to get through to the next tier of techs. My motorola lets my in at 192.168.1.1 if I plug directly into it a let DHCP give an address.

[crokett]

cg, nope. that is one of the disadvantages of living where I do.

rg, I have plenty of spare patch cables. good idea. I will do that tonight.

[Uncle Cracker]

God, I'm OLD...

"Listening" to threads like this one really makes me blue. I used to troubleshoot solid-state timing and logic circuitry for a living, but have not done so for 20 years or so. Could use a 4-channel scope in my sleep. When people start talking computer-ese and communication nowadays, I realize to my embarrassment that technology has passed this old monkey by, long ago. It's as though I never knew anything...

Maybe that means I should go look for a job with your ISP, David...

[crokett]

I checked out the box outside my house and the problem is definitely not in my house.

They have till noon to call me. If I don't hear from them then I am calling them back and letting them know they have an additional hour and a half before I file a complaint with the utilities commission.

[Hellrazor]

Depending on your phone company, they will fix it by July 1st. A lot of the phone companies will throw it back in your face and say "residential dsl service" is not for use for a business purpose and service is not guarenteed. And they will ask if normal phone service works and if it does, they are ok on the 911 laws.

[crokett]

I don't have local phone service with 'em so no, mine doesn't work.

Someone is supposed to be calling me/coming out today. We will see.

And Mike, this now is less about my service being down for work as it is a total lack of response from the company on anything. I have yet to hear from a field rep, even if is to tell me they will be out tomorrow or Thursday or whenever.

[Hellrazor]

David,

Not have a bundled service is going to cause a lot of problems for you. You are like the red headed step child of their customers. I don't remember which company had the damage phone lines near here, but it took a month to get everyones phones working right again. They had the numbers to the wrong houses, lines were shared, etc.

I only went off on my phone company once for a service issue and I managed to move right up the chain of command and got it taken care of.

Call up and keep asking for someone higher up until you get an answer you want. Local phone companies are usually easier to move up the chain of command. If the service department doesn't get you anyplace, call their business office and raise some h^@$. Nothing like ranting and raving about not paying the bill and wanting service credits for a prolonged outtage.

My boss is a real pusher when it comes to vendors and contracts at work. Our one vendor lied to me and didn't follow through on things. I ripped him up one side and down the other. My boss was sitting there laughing his butt off. Needless to say it never happened again, but the guy NEVER answered the phone if I called

[Daryl]

Well, if your next project is made of quarter-sawn phone pole we will know you took it out on their equipment.

[BobSch]

Well, if your next project is made of quarter-sawn phone pole we will know you took it out on their equipment.

Now you've done it! My wife is looking at me wondering why I'm laughing like a hyena!

[crokett]

David,

Not have a bundled service is going to cause a lot of problems for you. You are like the red headed step child of their customers.

I don't give a crap about that. If they can't deal with that then they shouldn't let people do it. Someone supposedly is coming out today.
I guess we will see.

[Hellrazor]

Any luck?


What DSL modem do you have?

[cgallery]

BTW, any chance of having cellular backup? Perhaps whomever has the pager should also have a cellular card they can plug into a laptop if their Internet is down.

[crokett]

Any luck?


What DSL modem do you have?

I guess you didn't see this thread:
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=38581