I think this is being sent to you via my next door neighbor’s high speed Internet connection. I’m not 100% sure. I’ve scrambled around, looking for a signal and found one… if I sit in the corner of the bed with the edge of the laptop facing Dubuque. It won’t work any other way.
Next door, in my office, the cable light on the cable modem is off. Bad sign.
I called Comcast and spoke to a Canadian woman (based on her accent). Dealing with the first level of tech support is the part that makes me want to pull out my hair.
Before I call I unplug, replug, reset, double check – you get the idea. I am not without some knowledge in this arcane subject. Yet the first thing she had me do was unplug the modem (again) and the router.
The router is behind the cable modem. Only through a thorough repealing of the laws of physics could it be causing my trouble. It would be as if my pipes didn’t work, so the plumber checked the glass I was thinking of drinking from.
Helaine points out this has happened more frequently lately. She’s right. And, the fact that this technology, though getting more mature, is failing more is a very bad sign. It’s also not good that my neighbor’s connection (also via Comcast) is fine.
A problem limited to an individual account is going to be harder to fix and slower to fix than a widespread outage.
Meanwhile, back on the phone, she couldn’t find my account, couldn’t find a way to schedule my appointment, and often seemed to be talking to herself! None of this is reassuring.
I continue to fear the cable connection will fail right when I’m taking some pivotal timed online test for school. Until then, I’ll be popping back into my office every few minutes looking for a lit cable modem light.
Geoff-
I recommend doing 2 things. (I love to complain to the commercial institutions that fail me, like rental car companies).
1. On the phone, “supervise-up” your way out of the problem. I had a couch take 8 months to get delivered- it was supposed to take 2. Through persistence, I got 80% off the retail price when I finally got the stupid thing. We shouldn’t have to resort to this, but increasingly the front line at these companies is overseas and not competent.
2. Find out who is in charge of modem product management at Comcast- look at their website, etc. Call them in Philly. If you can’t find out who that person is, you can identify the COO. I have found that by calling the COO, you get the secretary- by getting the secretary and being nice, you get her direct fax number for her boss. Write a blistering letter in the tone of “you should know about thie problem, it may be widespread.” This works- and it often helps you AND the company.