Comments on: Attack of the Service Tech http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/ Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:41:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: david http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15267 david Mon, 24 Oct 2005 20:35:07 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15267 I just had a suddent-onset brainstorm that sounds as good in my head as chocolate and peanut butter in the same candy wrapper: load-balancing router + wireless ethernet bridge = the best of both worlds! Just tune the wireless bridge to a neighbor's unsecured access point, then hook it up to one of the WAN ports of the load-balancing router that SpecialB recommended... that way, you're using DSL 99% of the time, and then it switches to the wireless bridge and piggybacks off your neighbor when you're down! No midnight runs to Starbucks, no wacky cell-phone hookups or dragging dialup (I get the feeling you don't have a traditional landline anyway, with two cell phones)... all the advantages of a redundant connection, without the monthly expense! (NOTE this requires a friendly and/or security-ignorant neighbor within WiFi distance, but still...) wireless ethernet bridge: ~$50 XiNCOM twin-WAN router: $135 at NewEgg.com piece of mind: Priceless I just had a suddent-onset brainstorm that sounds as good in my head as chocolate and peanut butter in the same candy wrapper:

load-balancing router + wireless ethernet bridge = the best of both worlds!

Just tune the wireless bridge to a neighbor’s unsecured access point, then hook it up to one of the WAN ports of the load-balancing router that SpecialB recommended… that way, you’re using DSL 99% of the time, and then it switches to the wireless bridge and piggybacks off your neighbor when you’re down! No midnight runs to Starbucks, no wacky cell-phone hookups or dragging dialup (I get the feeling you don’t have a traditional landline anyway, with two cell phones)… all the advantages of a redundant connection, without the monthly expense!

(NOTE this requires a friendly and/or security-ignorant neighbor within WiFi distance, but still…)

wireless ethernet bridge: ~$50
XiNCOM twin-WAN router: $135 at NewEgg.com
piece of mind: Priceless

]]> By: That "Jason" Guy http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15266 That "Jason" Guy Mon, 24 Oct 2005 19:26:51 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15266 I had a similar experience. Had cable for 3 years, no problems. Then, out of the blue the friggin modem would reset every 0:30. One guy told us that squirrels had chewed the cable. One guy told us that there was a union of the cables that water was getting into. One guy told us they would replace a box on my street. Eight service calls and no resolution. I finally switched to DSL and sent an angry letter to the president of the broadband provider, which I'm sure was tossed without being read. The fact of the matter here is that it isn't rocket science. There is a cable--with a solid copper strand in the middle and braided wire on the outside. As long as its intact, you should get a stable signal. The only way this is NOT the cable company's responsibility to fix is if the problem lies in the inanimate cable inside of your house, which is highly unlikely. They should run a new cable into the house by visit #5. To me it's absolutely inexcusable for it to take more visits than that. Anyway, I have been on DSL for 4 years now and have been down once--for two days. That's not bad for 4 years. And yes, the DSL companies, in my experience tend to be more helpful and professional. As far as redundancy goes, so far I'm onboard with piggybacking on a neighbor's connection if yours goes down--considering you aren't hosting out of your home. Hell, for that matter, you can probably find an open wireless connection to pirate with little effort. If you are hosting though, then you've got port forwarding to contend with and that won't work. If that's the case, I'd go with cable as a backup. I had a similar experience. Had cable for 3 years, no problems. Then, out of the blue the friggin modem would reset every 0:30. One guy told us that squirrels had chewed the cable. One guy told us that there was a union of the cables that water was getting into. One guy told us they would replace a box on my street. Eight service calls and no resolution. I finally switched to DSL and sent an angry letter to the president of the broadband provider, which I’m sure was tossed without being read.

The fact of the matter here is that it isn’t rocket science. There is a cable–with a solid copper strand in the middle and braided wire on the outside. As long as its intact, you should get a stable signal. The only way this is NOT the cable company’s responsibility to fix is if the problem lies in the inanimate cable inside of your house, which is highly unlikely. They should run a new cable into the house by visit #5. To me it’s absolutely inexcusable for it to take more visits than that.

Anyway, I have been on DSL for 4 years now and have been down once–for two days. That’s not bad for 4 years. And yes, the DSL companies, in my experience tend to be more helpful and professional.

As far as redundancy goes, so far I’m onboard with piggybacking on a neighbor’s connection if yours goes down–considering you aren’t hosting out of your home. Hell, for that matter, you can probably find an open wireless connection to pirate with little effort. If you are hosting though, then you’ve got port forwarding to contend with and that won’t work. If that’s the case, I’d go with cable as a backup.

]]> By: Kel http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15265 Kel Thu, 20 Oct 2005 02:16:45 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15265 Reading your adventures with cable internet reads almost word for word what my bf and I have been through. We had cable for a few months and never had good access. Multiple trips out here with various reapair men and being told the apartment was tood old and how the wires arae too old and we've over run the modem (?), ect., ect., ad naseum. Now, we've got DSL. We're on al the time, we're fast and it's a blessing! Reading your adventures with cable internet reads almost word for word what my bf and I have been through. We had cable for a few months and never had good access. Multiple trips out here with various reapair men and being told the apartment was tood old and how the wires arae too old and we’ve over run the modem (?), ect., ect., ad naseum. Now, we’ve got DSL. We’re on al the time, we’re fast and it’s a blessing!

]]> By: subbes http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15264 subbes Tue, 18 Oct 2005 19:37:41 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15264 Heck, in an emergency, just whip out your handy Treo with the data plan, connect it up to your PC (or maybe Mac if you have the conversion for the cradle) and enjoy state-of-the-art-two-years-ago 200 baud speeds. An ex of mine did it when his apartment [wallet] couldn't even handle regular telephone lines and dialup. He was crazy. Heck, in an emergency, just whip out your handy Treo with the data plan, connect it up to your PC (or maybe Mac if you have the conversion for the cradle) and enjoy state-of-the-art-two-years-ago 200 baud speeds. An ex of mine did it when his apartment [wallet] couldn’t even handle regular telephone lines and dialup. He was crazy.

]]> By: Lisa http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15263 Lisa Tue, 18 Oct 2005 02:15:21 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15263 We are thinking we need both at work, for exactly the same reasons you mentioned. Medical office + computer access down = not a good thing! We are thinking we need both at work, for exactly the same reasons you mentioned. Medical office + computer access down = not a good thing!

]]> By: Charles R. Kaiser http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15262 Charles R. Kaiser Mon, 17 Oct 2005 18:37:17 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15262 BTW, If our cable service DOES go down we have backup dailup provided by our ISP. I can use this from work too. Check with your ISPs to see if you have it included in either of your packages. BTW,

If our cable service DOES go down we have backup dailup provided by our ISP. I can use this from work too.

Check with your ISPs to see if you have it included in either of your packages.

]]> By: Charles R. Kaiser http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15261 Charles R. Kaiser Mon, 17 Oct 2005 18:33:29 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15261 I am so spoiled here with my cable internet. Almost 100% uptime, 100% fibre in a new neigbourhood, advertised 9 Megabit download speed (usually around 5 to 6 acutal) with 1 megabit uploads, no 3rd party p2p filtering and 5 email addresses. . . And now I just have to wait until Christmas to get my Tivo from my mom in Albuquerque! Tivo service is FINALLY available in Canada! Life will be good. I am so spoiled here with my cable internet. Almost 100% uptime, 100% fibre in a new neigbourhood, advertised 9 Megabit download speed (usually around 5 to 6 acutal) with 1 megabit uploads, no 3rd party p2p filtering and 5 email addresses. . .

And now I just have to wait until Christmas to get my Tivo from my mom in Albuquerque! Tivo service is FINALLY available in Canada!

Life will be good.

]]> By: rograndom http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15260 rograndom Mon, 17 Oct 2005 14:39:22 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15260 I second the idea of a business class DSL install. I'm not sure what the deal is in Utah, but we had a SDSL line installed. 1.5mb up and down, 5 static IPs and somebody to yell at (and will listen) when/if it goes down. Cheaper than a T1 too. I second the idea of a business class DSL install. I’m not sure what the deal is in Utah, but we had a SDSL line installed. 1.5mb up and down, 5 static IPs and somebody to yell at (and will listen) when/if it goes down. Cheaper than a T1 too.

]]> By: Deb http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15259 Deb Mon, 17 Oct 2005 09:48:22 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15259 Jon -- you should start up your own wireless/cable/dsl whatever you like best provider. It would answer your question as to how to make your own money without working for The Man. And in an area where I'm sure there must be many dissatisfied customers such as yourself, why not take things into your own hands and fix the problem yourself! I couldn't give any specs as to what it would take to set up, but I don't think it's all too much. You should look into it! Jon — you should start up your own wireless/cable/dsl whatever you like best provider. It would answer your question as to how to make your own money without working for The Man. And in an area where I’m sure there must be many dissatisfied customers such as yourself, why not take things into your own hands and fix the problem yourself! I couldn’t give any specs as to what it would take to set up, but I don’t think it’s all too much. You should look into it!

]]> By: Amy http://blurbomat.com/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech/#comment-15258 Amy Mon, 17 Oct 2005 01:12:13 +0000 http://blurbomat.com/wp/archives/2005/10/14/attack-of-the-service-tech#comment-15258 Oh, Ann, if you REALLY lived in BFE you wouldn't have DSL. Here in rural Maine I thought we were going to have to live with (shudder) dial-up or the insanely expensive satellite Gordon mentioned (Gordon, did you get the "we don't have any idea when we might consider doing DSL in your area and no, there is no one in the whole company who does know, so stop asking" speech from Verizon like I did?), but our house is one of the very lucky few in our area that can get a wireless T1 signal through microwaves coming off a tower on a hill a couple of miles away to an antenna in my attic window. I love this service. Occasionally it goes wonky in bad weather, but it is pretty stable and fast. Is something like that an option, Jon, other than creating a similar network yourself? Oh, Ann, if you REALLY lived in BFE you wouldn’t have DSL. Here in rural Maine I thought we were going to have to live with (shudder) dial-up or the insanely expensive satellite Gordon mentioned (Gordon, did you get the “we don’t have any idea when we might consider doing DSL in your area and no, there is no one in the whole company who does know, so stop asking” speech from Verizon like I did?), but our house is one of the very lucky few in our area that can get a wireless T1 signal through microwaves coming off a tower on a hill a couple of miles away to an antenna in my attic window. I love this service. Occasionally it goes wonky in bad weather, but it is pretty stable and fast. Is something like that an option, Jon, other than creating a similar network yourself?

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