that was special...
So, our cable modem was apparently on its last legs, which was determined by it constantly dropping connection and after I replaced everything else (coax cable, cat5 cable, wi-fi router) it STILL had connection issues. We were getting by with constantly resetting the modem, typically once every few hours, until today.
Today Dave messages me and says he cannot get the network online. His wi-fi adapter can't connect to the internet, and his mac can intermittently. I come home, spend my lunch hour trying to get either of the wi-fi adapters on or getting at least both computer he needed on the network and talking (don't ask about our home network... it's a nightmare I haven't had a chance to tackle yet). Meanwhile, I'm also waiting on a chat to start with a Comcast rep so I can request a modem upgrade. Eventually, that gets granted and Dave realizes he can download the program he needs to run on the mac. I leave and return to work assured that we can exchange the modem tonight at the nearest Comcast office.
I had thought we'd be in luck since the closest comcast office is ten minutes down the road from us, and, according to the website and the rep, it is open until 6 PM. Perfect, we'll be a little close on time, but, we should get there with at least 15 minutes to exchange our modem before they close. I get off work, come home, pickup Dave and the modem, and we head to the Comcast office. We drive up and don;t even get to the parking lot since there is one lone car in the lot and a guy walking up the steps to a dark office. Dammit, comcast! The next closest office is another 20 minutes away, but since it is rush hour and it took us 15 minutes to go 2 miles, it takes the over 30 minutes. We get there, and the place is PACKED. We grab a number, and decide to grab dinner while we wait. Come back after the longest drive-thru experience ever (but, the food was tasty) and we have to wait through a whole 3 people until our number is called. Five minutes of waiting while out agent goes in the back (where I was half expecting her to bring our modem back out and tell us it was 'new'), and we get handed a modem and a power cable. Off to home, dinner, and another round of tech support.
Dave plugs the modem in and nothing happens. So, we eat. Afterward, I haul the laptop over, get it on the network, and start fiddling with the order I plug in and unplug the cables in the back of the modem (really technical stuff). Eventually I get it to the state where I think it's on and connected (no, Comcast did not deign to give us a setup CD or a manual or anything remotely useful. I suppose we could have waited the 3-5 days for one to come in the mail and get a tech appointment, but, we need internets now!). Bring up firefox, wait. Refresh the page enough times and suddenly the Comcast setup link appears. Huzzah!
Comcast cannot make anything that simple. I click on the customer link, which will ostensibly lead me to a page to download the setup program. Nope. Try again. nada. Third time's the charm, right? Nothing. So, I click on the technician link. Lo and behold, it goes somewhere and asks for my account number. I input that, it tells me I have no work order, brings up a 'next' button, and I click through, at which point it freezes. So, i refresh the page. I repeat this process three times, and eventually it tests the device and connection and I bring up a new tab and I'm online. The first thing I do? Go get the manual and a lovely pocketguide pdf to the lights and their meanings on the modem.
I discover somethign else while skimming the manual, and seriously wonder about Comcast's 'upgrade'- we now have a Motorola Surfboard SB5101, proudly made in 2005. We HAD a Scientific Atlanta DPC 2100, which was all of a year newer. I suppose only time will tell if this one survives, or if I can eventually get comcast to actually give me a brand new, never used, made less than 2 years ago modem. Or, I'll break out the 2003 era modem that I have and see if that works better. All that matters right now is that we're online and Dave's connected to the network again. But, Comcast, that was a very special evening.
Today Dave messages me and says he cannot get the network online. His wi-fi adapter can't connect to the internet, and his mac can intermittently. I come home, spend my lunch hour trying to get either of the wi-fi adapters on or getting at least both computer he needed on the network and talking (don't ask about our home network... it's a nightmare I haven't had a chance to tackle yet). Meanwhile, I'm also waiting on a chat to start with a Comcast rep so I can request a modem upgrade. Eventually, that gets granted and Dave realizes he can download the program he needs to run on the mac. I leave and return to work assured that we can exchange the modem tonight at the nearest Comcast office.
I had thought we'd be in luck since the closest comcast office is ten minutes down the road from us, and, according to the website and the rep, it is open until 6 PM. Perfect, we'll be a little close on time, but, we should get there with at least 15 minutes to exchange our modem before they close. I get off work, come home, pickup Dave and the modem, and we head to the Comcast office. We drive up and don;t even get to the parking lot since there is one lone car in the lot and a guy walking up the steps to a dark office. Dammit, comcast! The next closest office is another 20 minutes away, but since it is rush hour and it took us 15 minutes to go 2 miles, it takes the over 30 minutes. We get there, and the place is PACKED. We grab a number, and decide to grab dinner while we wait. Come back after the longest drive-thru experience ever (but, the food was tasty) and we have to wait through a whole 3 people until our number is called. Five minutes of waiting while out agent goes in the back (where I was half expecting her to bring our modem back out and tell us it was 'new'), and we get handed a modem and a power cable. Off to home, dinner, and another round of tech support.
Dave plugs the modem in and nothing happens. So, we eat. Afterward, I haul the laptop over, get it on the network, and start fiddling with the order I plug in and unplug the cables in the back of the modem (really technical stuff). Eventually I get it to the state where I think it's on and connected (no, Comcast did not deign to give us a setup CD or a manual or anything remotely useful. I suppose we could have waited the 3-5 days for one to come in the mail and get a tech appointment, but, we need internets now!). Bring up firefox, wait. Refresh the page enough times and suddenly the Comcast setup link appears. Huzzah!
Comcast cannot make anything that simple. I click on the customer link, which will ostensibly lead me to a page to download the setup program. Nope. Try again. nada. Third time's the charm, right? Nothing. So, I click on the technician link. Lo and behold, it goes somewhere and asks for my account number. I input that, it tells me I have no work order, brings up a 'next' button, and I click through, at which point it freezes. So, i refresh the page. I repeat this process three times, and eventually it tests the device and connection and I bring up a new tab and I'm online. The first thing I do? Go get the manual and a lovely pocketguide pdf to the lights and their meanings on the modem.
I discover somethign else while skimming the manual, and seriously wonder about Comcast's 'upgrade'- we now have a Motorola Surfboard SB5101, proudly made in 2005. We HAD a Scientific Atlanta DPC 2100, which was all of a year newer. I suppose only time will tell if this one survives, or if I can eventually get comcast to actually give me a brand new, never used, made less than 2 years ago modem. Or, I'll break out the 2003 era modem that I have and see if that works better. All that matters right now is that we're online and Dave's connected to the network again. But, Comcast, that was a very special evening.