Pity me --- I use Comcast as my ISP. Based on the support hell I've been put through by that company today, I can definitively say Comcast has the worst tech support of any company anywhere. Here's my tale of woe.
In the last week or so, I've been experiencing intermittent Internet outages. This has happened before; each time Comcast has dispatched a technician to the neighborhood, who fixed a nearby connection, and then things worked fine.
This time when I called tech support, I was told the problem was my cable modem. There was no problem with Comcast's network, he insisted. I had to return my cable modem and get a new one. That would fix the problem.
"Can you check whether other people in the neighborhood are calling with the same problem?" I asked. "If they are, it means there's a problem with your network, not with my modem."
The technician told me that no, he couldn't check on that. I'd have to return my cable modem for a new one. That would fix the problem.
I dutifully trudged to the Comcast office in my neighborhood and waited in line. The person before me, who also lived in my neighborhood, handed a cable modem to the person behind the counter and said, "I'm having a problem with my Internet connection. Tech support told me the problem was with my cable modem and I had to get a new one."
When it was my turn, I asked whether a lot of people in the neighborhood were suddenly returning their cable modems and getting new ones, because tech support told them that would fix their Internet connection problems.
"You know, you're right," she told me. "I've never seen so many people returning their modems like this."
I suggested that she call someone at Comcast's main office and tell them that there's clearly a problem with a connection in the neighborhood.
I returned home and plugged in my cable modem. No Internet connection. I called tech support and received an automated message saying that there is a problem in my area, and they've dispatched someone to fix it.
An hour later, I used ping to see whether I had an Internet connection. It worked! Finally, I thought, I'd be able to get onto the Internet.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. I launched my browser, but apparently because I had a new cable modem, Comcast thought I was a new customer and so the Web page asked that I set up a new account. Given that I already have an account, I couldn't set up a new account.
I called tech support again, so they could fix the problem. This time around, they'd be able to make a change to my record, and that would do the trick. No thinking would be involved. When it comes to Comcast, that's a good thing.
I again received the recorded message. No human would help.
I figured that I'd try to set up a new account. First, though, I had to download software. But when I clicked the link to the download, nothing happened. I clicked again. Nothing.
Eventually, though, the link worked. But even after installing the software and using it, each time I launched my browser it brought me back to the same screen, informing me that because I was a new customer, I had to set up a new account. But it wouldn't let me set up a new account.
I called tech support yet one more time. Once again, I received the same recorded message.
Luckily, my son Gabe came to the rescue. He suggested that I configure my PC to use OpenDNS DNS servers and bypass Comcast servers. I followed his advice. That did the trick...but only on that one PC. So I'll have to change DNS settings for all the computers in my house. So I can't say that the problem is really solved yet.
In fact, I realized, the problem will never really be solved, until I get away from Comcast, which unfortunately offers the only truly high-speed Internet service where I live. Verizon FIOS, when will you finally come to Cambridge?
http://adf.ly/3pgk
In the last week or so, I've been experiencing intermittent Internet outages. This has happened before; each time Comcast has dispatched a technician to the neighborhood, who fixed a nearby connection, and then things worked fine.
This time when I called tech support, I was told the problem was my cable modem. There was no problem with Comcast's network, he insisted. I had to return my cable modem and get a new one. That would fix the problem.
"Can you check whether other people in the neighborhood are calling with the same problem?" I asked. "If they are, it means there's a problem with your network, not with my modem."
The technician told me that no, he couldn't check on that. I'd have to return my cable modem for a new one. That would fix the problem.
I dutifully trudged to the Comcast office in my neighborhood and waited in line. The person before me, who also lived in my neighborhood, handed a cable modem to the person behind the counter and said, "I'm having a problem with my Internet connection. Tech support told me the problem was with my cable modem and I had to get a new one."
When it was my turn, I asked whether a lot of people in the neighborhood were suddenly returning their cable modems and getting new ones, because tech support told them that would fix their Internet connection problems.
"You know, you're right," she told me. "I've never seen so many people returning their modems like this."
I suggested that she call someone at Comcast's main office and tell them that there's clearly a problem with a connection in the neighborhood.
I returned home and plugged in my cable modem. No Internet connection. I called tech support and received an automated message saying that there is a problem in my area, and they've dispatched someone to fix it.
An hour later, I used ping to see whether I had an Internet connection. It worked! Finally, I thought, I'd be able to get onto the Internet.
Unfortunately, it was not to be. I launched my browser, but apparently because I had a new cable modem, Comcast thought I was a new customer and so the Web page asked that I set up a new account. Given that I already have an account, I couldn't set up a new account.
I called tech support again, so they could fix the problem. This time around, they'd be able to make a change to my record, and that would do the trick. No thinking would be involved. When it comes to Comcast, that's a good thing.
I again received the recorded message. No human would help.
I figured that I'd try to set up a new account. First, though, I had to download software. But when I clicked the link to the download, nothing happened. I clicked again. Nothing.
Eventually, though, the link worked. But even after installing the software and using it, each time I launched my browser it brought me back to the same screen, informing me that because I was a new customer, I had to set up a new account. But it wouldn't let me set up a new account.
I called tech support yet one more time. Once again, I received the same recorded message.
Luckily, my son Gabe came to the rescue. He suggested that I configure my PC to use OpenDNS DNS servers and bypass Comcast servers. I followed his advice. That did the trick...but only on that one PC. So I'll have to change DNS settings for all the computers in my house. So I can't say that the problem is really solved yet.
In fact, I realized, the problem will never really be solved, until I get away from Comcast, which unfortunately offers the only truly high-speed Internet service where I live. Verizon FIOS, when will you finally come to Cambridge?
http://adf.ly/3pgk
