So I just got my internet connection hooked up!
Followed all the instructions - this laptop has had DSL on it earlier... so I knew the service should work.
Yet... even with all the connections set correctly and all the lights working - no joy.
Call the call centre.
First call was answered after 12 minutes of holding...
Well, actually, it was answered and then apparently hung up.
Dialled again - chose a different option... had a human connect me to another human.
Fairly successful - as far as connections go. Problem solved? No.
The guy was nice enough ... tried different things (turn it off and turn it on again, resetting modem program from his server) then "exhausted all the options available" to him and patched me through to someone else.
New guy... had me do a hard reset - press a little button at the back.
Talked to him for nearly 40 minutes and now that I look back on it... that's all he really managed.
Finally, he patched me through to HP, wondering if the machine was a problem... (he could've asked me... I could've told him that...) and he went off the conference call.
I was stuck with HP guy and he said everything was fine. I could have told him that...
Dial again... "Call will be attended in approximately 15 minutes"
Hang up.
Dial again.
I get through to Adam right away.
Here's a tip for life in America - If you're told your call be attended to in so many minutes, hang up and dial again. Worked for me... but then... disclaimers include that this works for TLH Embarq services... we do not vouch for any other services and cannot be held legally responsible for the same. All evidence to the contrary is hearsay and this message will self destruct in 5 seconds...!
Riiiiight... back to Earth...
I'd already asked the guy previous to Adam if I needed to clear TCP/IP settings... apparently he didn't realise what I was asking because this was during conference with HP.
I'd already deleted all previous connections but my laptop was still told to use certain settings which were no longer valid.
Adam was sort of a lucky charm and at least seemed to have a sense of humour and a nice laugh.
He asked me how I was and I said that I wasn't happy and should I tell him about it?
He told me to go right on ahead.
Yet, during this time, I decided to use my head and tell the PC to find TCP/IP settings automatically. Voila! Gtalk signs in... yet no web pages... so I asked Adam if I needed to automatize (hmm... that's a word... no red line below it) DNS as well... and he said yes... and voila! web pages.
Change stuff in IE - MSN comes online.
Tell YIM to not use proxies... it comes alive...
Adam said I ought to have called him before the other guys... I told him to mention in a report that people should be asked these questions before scratching their heads too much.
The simple rules of IT:
1. Turn it off and turn it on again
2. See if it is plugged in
3. See if everything is connected together properly
4. See if your computer is doing too many things or things that it doesn't need to do.
5. First and foremost, tell the PC to figure things out by itself and if it doesn't then fiddle (and pray)
And no... that order is not in the wrong sequence!
These trouble shooting call centres... who's going to troubleshoot them?!
Followed all the instructions - this laptop has had DSL on it earlier... so I knew the service should work.
Yet... even with all the connections set correctly and all the lights working - no joy.
Call the call centre.
First call was answered after 12 minutes of holding...
Well, actually, it was answered and then apparently hung up.
Dialled again - chose a different option... had a human connect me to another human.
Fairly successful - as far as connections go. Problem solved? No.
The guy was nice enough ... tried different things (turn it off and turn it on again, resetting modem program from his server) then "exhausted all the options available" to him and patched me through to someone else.
New guy... had me do a hard reset - press a little button at the back.
Talked to him for nearly 40 minutes and now that I look back on it... that's all he really managed.
Finally, he patched me through to HP, wondering if the machine was a problem... (he could've asked me... I could've told him that...) and he went off the conference call.
I was stuck with HP guy and he said everything was fine. I could have told him that...
Dial again... "Call will be attended in approximately 15 minutes"
Hang up.
Dial again.
I get through to Adam right away.
Here's a tip for life in America - If you're told your call be attended to in so many minutes, hang up and dial again. Worked for me... but then... disclaimers include that this works for TLH Embarq services... we do not vouch for any other services and cannot be held legally responsible for the same. All evidence to the contrary is hearsay and this message will self destruct in 5 seconds...!
Riiiiight... back to Earth...
I'd already asked the guy previous to Adam if I needed to clear TCP/IP settings... apparently he didn't realise what I was asking because this was during conference with HP.
I'd already deleted all previous connections but my laptop was still told to use certain settings which were no longer valid.
Adam was sort of a lucky charm and at least seemed to have a sense of humour and a nice laugh.
He asked me how I was and I said that I wasn't happy and should I tell him about it?
He told me to go right on ahead.
Yet, during this time, I decided to use my head and tell the PC to find TCP/IP settings automatically. Voila! Gtalk signs in... yet no web pages... so I asked Adam if I needed to automatize (hmm... that's a word... no red line below it) DNS as well... and he said yes... and voila! web pages.
Change stuff in IE - MSN comes online.
Tell YIM to not use proxies... it comes alive...
Adam said I ought to have called him before the other guys... I told him to mention in a report that people should be asked these questions before scratching their heads too much.
The simple rules of IT:
1. Turn it off and turn it on again
2. See if it is plugged in
3. See if everything is connected together properly
4. See if your computer is doing too many things or things that it doesn't need to do.
5. First and foremost, tell the PC to figure things out by itself and if it doesn't then fiddle (and pray)
And no... that order is not in the wrong sequence!
These trouble shooting call centres... who's going to troubleshoot them?!
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