So, I'm at the Reuters website and I click on the news story I want to read and I can't get there. The internet connection is down. I called Comcast because that's our internet connection. Comcast has commercials on every Comcast cable station about the advantages of its reliable, high-speed internet connectivity over every other kind of service.
I'm on the phone with Jason -- he's being polite, checking whether there are any problems in the area; and he says no, no problems.
"Start with recycling the modem," he says.
And I tell him, "Yeah, I'll do all that stuff and call you back, if it's still a problem."
Recycle the modem. It's like any other computer problem. Turn the thing off and on. But they call it "recycling the modem." Like it's some magical techno-only-we-know-what-we're-talking-about-you-stupid-normal-person thing that is so complicated that we don't know what's going on. I know the problem is at their end because I was right in the middle of doing something and the damn thing cut out. That's definitely a problem on their end, which happens more than they want to admit, but I'll do what they want and "recycle the modem," like I'm an idiot or something.
Don't you just love that kind of attitude. I'm paying all this money for reliability and high speed and all that shit that they advertise, including the customer service, and he can't even take the time to tell me my modem's working -- all he has to do is type in my phone number and pull up the operating status and se if it's working -- and if it's not, then check to see where the problem is. Isn't that how it works?
Whatever.
So I go upstairs to "recycle the modem." None of the lights are on. It's not working. Damn thing must be broken. The little plug thingy is plugged in on the back of the translucent, fin-shaped affair. Then I checked to see if it was plugged in to the power strip. And it was. No wonder Jason didn't tell me the modem was okay -- because it's not okay!
Some customer service -- he knew the modem wasn't working, but do you think he wants to 'fess up and admit that the thing is broken? No. That is not the American way.
But I'm not done with my diagnostic stuff. I'm not going to call yet. I'm not a fly-off-the-fucking-handle guy that everyone thinks I am. I only threw a hammer one time when a nail bent. I have a complaint about the on-off button on the power strip. It's hard to tell what position is "on" and what position is"off." So, I checked both power strips. The fin-shaped modem still didn't go on.
There are so many wires and plugs, some of them big-ass plugs. There was one plug that was just laying on the floor tangled in some other cords. I couldn't tell what that was for.
Except when I plugged it, the cable modem started working.
Posted by Bill at January 24, 2004 01:02 PMROFL, I have done that a couple times with my cable modem. It is plugged in via my usb ports as my ethernet card is crapped out and every once in awhile I catch the cord with my foot and kick it out. Those tech calls are so fun. Ummm sir you don't appear on the network check your cord again! They actually have a note on my account to have them ask me to check the usb cable, this wouldn't be so sad if not for the fact that I used to do tech support.
Posted by: Jeff A at January 24, 2004 01:45 PMIf he'd have told me to recycle my modem, I'd have put it in the yellow bag.
Posted by: Anji at January 24, 2004 02:18 PMIn your defense, I have Comcast and their connection is very slow today and pissing me off.
Posted by: kathy at January 24, 2004 07:37 PMWell, you just became a permenant entry on my blog list of "people to read". :)
Posted by: Randy at January 25, 2004 08:56 PMI have absolutely no comment on computer problems at this time.
Posted by: TW at January 25, 2004 09:43 PM