Comments on: Upgrayedd http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/ sound, fury, etc. Thu, 04 Dec 2008 03:35:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Eric http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-836 Eric Fri, 05 Jan 2007 18:55:23 +0000 http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-836 Oh... It all worked out fine, btw. Since I had already done the ATT registration and put the user id into the router, when the modem arrived, my mom plugged it in between the phone jack and the router and everything was cool. Of course, then the DSL cut out a couple days later for some mysterious reason, so I ended up having to call ATT tech support and fight with them over how I had already done all the local connectivity tests (i.e. check cables, power cycle the modem, etc.) but their tech support "script" won't even let them proceed to the part of the call where they check connectivity on their end until I verbally acknowledge that I am doing each one of their stupid tests *as* they instruct me to do it. Here's what I don't understand: The broadband companies obviously are in a tight spot. They want to sell Cable/DSL to as many people as possible, but they have to face facts that it's just not as easy to config and keep running as dial-up (at least initially). So they offer you a choice when you sign up. Either try to figure out the install process yourself, or pay them approx. $200 to send a guy out to do it. They outsource (in many cases) the "pro" install, and the $200 price tag sort of tells you how hard they're getting hit by these 3rd party contractors. So, the point is, on-site tech support is not cheap for them to provide. Phone support is cheaper, but still not free and so the less of either that they can get away with the better. So why in the #(@*# can I not self-identify as an "expert" when I call tech support and skip over the time-and-money-consuming scripted interaction with somebody who knows less about the situation than I do? Some companies (i.e. my web-host, Dreamhost) offer this and it makes so much sense that I just can't believe it's not a more common practice! Anyway, alls well that ends well. So here's a vote of confidence for AT&T. (At least until their merger with SBC is forgotten and they can rip up the net-neutrality agreement they issued last week.) Oh… It all worked out fine, btw. Since I had already done the ATT registration and put the user id into the router, when the modem arrived, my mom plugged it in between the phone jack and the router and everything was cool. Of course, then the DSL cut out a couple days later for some mysterious reason, so I ended up having to call ATT tech support and fight with them over how I had already done all the local connectivity tests (i.e. check cables, power cycle the modem, etc.) but their tech support “script” won’t even let them proceed to the part of the call where they check connectivity on their end until I verbally acknowledge that I am doing each one of their stupid tests *as* they instruct me to do it.

Here’s what I don’t understand: The broadband companies obviously are in a tight spot. They want to sell Cable/DSL to as many people as possible, but they have to face facts that it’s just not as easy to config and keep running as dial-up (at least initially). So they offer you a choice when you sign up. Either try to figure out the install process yourself, or pay them approx. $200 to send a guy out to do it. They outsource (in many cases) the “pro” install, and the $200 price tag sort of tells you how hard they’re getting hit by these 3rd party contractors. So, the point is, on-site tech support is not cheap for them to provide. Phone support is cheaper, but still not free and so the less of either that they can get away with the better.

So why in the #(@*# can I not self-identify as an “expert” when I call tech support and skip over the time-and-money-consuming scripted interaction with somebody who knows less about the situation than I do? Some companies (i.e. my web-host, Dreamhost) offer this and it makes so much sense that I just can’t believe it’s not a more common practice!

Anyway, alls well that ends well. So here’s a vote of confidence for AT&T. (At least until their merger with SBC is forgotten and they can rip up the net-neutrality agreement they issued last week.)

]]> By: andrew http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-805 andrew Fri, 29 Dec 2006 00:10:15 +0000 http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-805 Wow. Wow.

]]> By: Justin http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-804 Justin Thu, 28 Dec 2006 16:17:55 +0000 http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-804 Thanks Eric, I'll let you know how it goes on this end too. Happy Holidays back 'atcha! Thanks Eric, I’ll let you know how it goes on this end too.
Happy Holidays back ‘atcha!

]]> By: Eric http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-800 Eric Thu, 28 Dec 2006 04:11:30 +0000 http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-800 Well... It seems to me that using either method will present *some* kind of problems, even with Comcast, there are still network config issues to deal with. And one thing about SBC is that they are definitely way cheaper, despite being only a little bit slower. The main thing I would recommend in either case is getting a router that will sit in between the cable or dsl modem and the actual computer. That way you can configure the router the way you want right now, and then when the modem arrives, all they have to do is plug it in, in between the cable/phone jack and the router. In the case of SBC, this actually makes setup much easier, since once you've gone through the process of getting the "@sbcglobal.net" account that I described above (in the "this page which allows you to handle the entire PPPoE registration process via the web" link) you can put that into the router setup and then they won't even have to install the software that comes with the modem. In theory at least... =) Anyway, that's my plan. So, to review.... I: 1) Ordered DSL service (opting for the modem w/o built-in wifi) 2) Did the SBC Registration thing on the web 3) Bought a cheap router and made sure that it was connected to the computer properly 4) Configged the router to use the login from step 2 5) Told my mom to just plug the dsl modem in between the wall jack and the router when it arrives (placing the included DSL line filters in the other phone jacks in the house) That's it! Anyway, I'll post a follow up here when I find out how it goes. Good luck, and happy holidays! Well… It seems to me that using either method will present *some* kind of problems, even with Comcast, there are still network config issues to deal with. And one thing about SBC is that they are definitely way cheaper, despite being only a little bit slower. The main thing I would recommend in either case is getting a router that will sit in between the cable or dsl modem and the actual computer. That way you can configure the router the way you want right now, and then when the modem arrives, all they have to do is plug it in, in between the cable/phone jack and the router. In the case of SBC, this actually makes setup much easier, since once you’ve gone through the process of getting the “@sbcglobal.net” account that I described above (in the “this page which allows you to handle the entire PPPoE registration process via the web” link) you can put that into the router setup and then they won’t even have to install the software that comes with the modem. In theory at least… =) Anyway, that’s my plan. So, to review…. I:

1) Ordered DSL service (opting for the modem w/o built-in wifi)

2) Did the SBC Registration thing on the web

3) Bought a cheap router and made sure that it was connected to the computer properly

4) Configged the router to use the login from step 2

5) Told my mom to just plug the dsl modem in between the wall jack and the router when it arrives (placing the included DSL line filters in the other phone jacks in the house)

That’s it! Anyway, I’ll post a follow up here when I find out how it goes. Good luck, and happy holidays!

]]> By: Justin http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-796 Justin Wed, 27 Dec 2006 22:59:37 +0000 http://www.antinomian.com/2006/12/27/upgrayedd/#comment-796 Coincidentally, I'm embarking on exactly this same mission for my folks, who are also currently modem running AOL members (seems to be the software of choice for that generation). Anyway, we haven't ordered the DSL yet, but I was hoping I WOULDN'T be facing something like this when they do. Should I urge them to go Comcast cable internet instead? They seem to be drawn to the whole not-needing-a-separate-wire aspect of SBC DSL, but seems cable internet is faster? Coincidentally, I’m embarking on exactly this same mission for my folks, who are also currently modem running AOL members (seems to be the software of choice for that generation). Anyway, we haven’t ordered the DSL yet, but I was hoping I WOULDN’T be facing something like this when they do.
Should I urge them to go Comcast cable internet instead? They seem to be drawn to the whole not-needing-a-separate-wire aspect of SBC DSL, but seems cable internet is faster?

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