We had a 10 hour outage on our DS3 yesterday...

Went down around 10:00, and didn't come back up until around 20:00.

Our ISP is NTT, but they give us service over Verizon infrastructure.

According to NTT, Verizon had a "bad jumper" in their rooms, and they
had to fight Verizon to get them to dispatch.

The only saving grace is that yesterday was a company holiday for the
US office - but that didn't help much for our two overseas offices.

I have to wonder if VZ doesn't have a random number generator that
tells a tech to go in and jiggle some wires once in a while to see if
they can't discombobulate folks.

Sigh.

Kurt

On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 18:12, Andrew S. Baker <[email protected]> wrote:
> I routinely have ISP fun.   Two weeks ago, it was Verizon FiOS.  This week,
> it's my web hosting provider.
> Years ago, I have multiple bouts of incredible fun with Comcurst.  Still
> have some of the chat logs and diagnostics saved from that encounter...
> I'm not sure whether or not to attribute it to outsourcing, general
> incompetence, poor work ethic, or acute telcoitis, but they get dumber and
> dumber each year, and the individual techs either know less, or are less
> capable of helping due to restrictions, etc.
> And I'm only recounting *residential* grief here.  It's just as bad on the
> corporate side -- worse, when you consider the dollars involved.
>
> ASB (Find me online via About.Me)
> Exploiting Technology for Business Advantage...
>
>
>
>
> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 7:42 PM, Rene de Haas <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> Those stories bring back memories.
>>
>> Phone company calls home if I want internet. Didn't have it at the time.
>> They talk to my wife who's not into computers, so she says you'll have to
>> talk to my husband. They, OK can we send you some information? Yes, that was
>> ok.
>> She tells me and 2 days later we get a letter. It starts with thank you
>> for your order....
>> In the letter it also mentions if you want to cancel you will have to do
>> this within a week by calling a phone number.
>> So I call phone number go through the menu and then get a voice message
>> saying they are very busy because a lot of interest I will need to call back
>> later and get disconnected. The same happens all 5 times I call.
>> I go to a shop of the same company wait for my turn, tell the story and
>> ask if I can cancel there.
>> No you can't you have to do it through the phone number.
>> Ok, can I file a complaint then? Sure, so I did, but never heard anything
>> about it.
>> After a few more tries with the phone number and the same result, I decide
>> to select a different menu option than the one to cancel and yes it is
>> possible to talk to a person after all if you want to have Internet
>> connected.
>> So it's cancelled and don't hear any more from them and think it's solved.
>> Month or 2 later I find out they are charging my account for the Internet
>> connection after all.
>> I call them and yes, they can see I cancelled. They connect me with the
>> accounting department.
>> There but sir you have Internet. Me, what the .... Your other department
>> could see I cancelled. Them, oh but that's a different administration...
>> Finally it got resolved and I got the money back, but you can imagine I
>> was mildly irritated at the time.
>>
>> On Wed, Feb 23, 2011 at 12:52 AM, Steven Peck <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>
>>> Years ago, my neighborhood finally got DSL.  Yay.  I had 2 phone lines,
>>> one for voice and one for modem use.  Ordered it.  Scheduled 30 days out.
>>> 5 days before got confirmation that schedule was valid
>>> 3 days before was told it was on hold because of 'issues'
>>> 2 days got called, on schedule... followed by a call that it was on
>>> hold....
>>> ... confused.  I was told they were separate groups but really, no one
>>> was coming out.
>>>
>>> Took the day off anyway.  Guy shows up to do the install (contractor).  I
>>> tell him all the information, he says it's good, he can install anyway.....
>>> Little later says oops, bad news, problem with wiring, rescheduled and he
>>> leaves.
>>>
>>> ... both phone lines dead ...
>>> ... 7 days to get one line working ...
>>> ... 21 days and 4 home visits to get second line working again ...
>>>
>>> In the meantime, they call me to ask how my DSL was working out....!!
>>> This seemed to have involved 6 different groups from PacBell.
>>>
>>> 30 days later, unexpectedly on a Saturday, PacBell guy shows up.  I tell
>>> him the story.  He laughs a lot.  2 hours later he says, test it out.  We
>>> test it out....  wow!  Happy guy now.  I get 2 months free for 2 month
>>> odyssey to get DSL, go go early adopter.
>>>
>>> ....
>>>
>>> My next nightmare was next year.  One is one day my DSL goes dead.
>>> I have to dismantle my network as I know that they would freak if I had
>>> anything then a single Windows 98 (yes, that long ago) box connected to my
>>> DSL line and it's just easier.
>>>
>>> So... 6 hours on hold.  Yes, 6 hours! (Sunday lost - at least there was
>>> football on)
>>> Much discussion, chatting, four transfers (after first 2 were cold
>>> transfers that had no clue what to do with me, I demanded warm hand offs),
>>> finally it appears my configuration was accidentally wiped on the switch,
>>> "would I like to just go with PPOE?"  !! NO !! (as I was paying for static
>>> anyway - yay, grandfather clause for early adopters).  So they got me
>>> working.  Whew.  7 hour marathon now over.
>>>
>>> 20 minutes later, no connectivity!!!!
>>> Back on phone.  3 hours.  Reduced hold time.
>>> Carefully, oh so carefully holding my temper, I interrupt the person with
>>> the scripted question with my ticket number and ask them to pull it up.  I
>>> ask, can you please call the network guy on the ticket and see if they
>>> 'saved the run configuration' BEFORE someone else overwrote it wiping my
>>> configuration out again.... Yes I am sure.  Please do this as I am very
>>> upset after 9 hours on hold at this point... "Please hold"  20 minutes later
>>> I get the agent back, network guy says 5 minutes, very sorry please wait
>>> some more.  10 more minutes connectivity restored.  Agent swears network guy
>>> says it's saved this time.  I get one month free.
>>>
>>> Wow, this brings back memories.  I've since moved.
>>>
>>> Steven Peck
>>> http://www.blkmtn.org
>>>
>>>
>>> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 3:16 PM, Michael B. Smith <[email protected]>
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> My parents got the “buy a new modem” thing just last week from their
>>>> provider (WindStream).  Ended up just taking a reset.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Michael B. Smith
>>>>
>>>> Consultant and Exchange MVP
>>>>
>>>> http://TheEssentialExchange.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From: Guyer, Don [mailto:[email protected]]
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 4:13 PM
>>>>
>>>> To: NT System Admin Issues
>>>> Subject: RE: Monday morning not-so-funny
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> “I wonder how many elderly people and or tech illiterate people have
>>>> been ripped off with “you have to buy a new modem” “
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Probably the same amount of people who get ripped off when they take
>>>> their cars to these chain auto shops and pay for unnecessary repairs.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> It’s unfortunate that things go on like this.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I ran into a similar experience yesterday. Noticed my cable bill (won’t
>>>> name the provider, but it starts with a C and ends with a T) was about $40
>>>> higher than previous month. So, I called them out on it and got it reduced
>>>> almost double what they were trying to raise it. Money is made like this 
>>>> all
>>>> over when people don’t pay attention or are afraid to stand up and speak
>>>> out.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Don Guyer
>>>>
>>>> Windows Systems Engineer
>>>>
>>>> Datasafe Platform
>>>>
>>>> Fiserv Enterprise Technology
>>>>
>>>> Fiserv
>>>>
>>>> [email protected]
>>>>
>>>> Office: 1-800-523-7282 x 1673
>>>>
>>>> Fax: 610-293-4499
>>>>
>>>> www.fiserv.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From: Mathew Shember [mailto:[email protected]]
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 4:03 PM
>>>>
>>>> To: NT System Admin Issues
>>>> Subject: RE: Monday morning not-so-funny
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I had “great” service at home.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Call in a repair for the telephone line which has noise.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> A DSL guy eventually appears and says they sent him because the phone
>>>> people are short staffed (layoffs) and proceeds to wipe the config on my 
>>>> DSL
>>>> modem.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Call that in and they said a person will be out in a week.   Tell them
>>>> no; you broke it you fix it now.  “Can’t help you”   Let me talk to the
>>>> manager.  Get angry with manager and a person will be out the next day.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Person never shows.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Call it in and get sent to DSL support.   Can’t get access to it with
>>>> the default password.   Support says I have to buy a new modem because it’s
>>>> old.   Tell them no; your person broke it they have to repair it or replace
>>>> it.   “Can’t help you”   Let me talk to the manager.  Get angry with 
>>>> manager
>>>> and a person will be out the next Day.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> A telephone person shows up and announces the lines are ok so DSL should
>>>> work.  Duh!  The modem config was wiped and the default password doesn’t
>>>> work!!!!!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Wife calls it in and they try to go through queue card support.   Wife
>>>> cuts it off.   Somebody else talks to her and tells her we have to get a 
>>>> new
>>>> modem because I broke it.   Wife goes ballistic and asks for the
>>>> director.      Person will be out today.  Director gives his number.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Person never shows.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Wife calls director that evening and a very grumpy DSL person announces
>>>> the modem config was wiped and the wrong default password was given to us.
>>>> Asks who did it and proceeds to call that person up and yells at them.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> DSL restored.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Side note:  They had to have support tickets for both DSL and the
>>>> telephone and they made no sense from the comments section as per grumpy 
>>>> dsl
>>>> guy.   He said they are going through hell because they laid off a large
>>>> portion of the front desk people and outsourced it to cheaper better 
>>>> talent.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I wonder how many elderly people and or tech illiterate people have been
>>>> ripped off with “you have to buy a new modem”
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From: Guyer, Don [mailto:[email protected]]
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 12:44 PM
>>>>
>>>> To: NT System Admin Issues
>>>> Subject: RE: Monday morning not-so-funny
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> In a previous gig, we had a provider come out to one of our sites and
>>>> cut our data circuit instead of one of the other tenants’.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> They paid HELL for that!
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Don Guyer
>>>>
>>>> Windows Systems Engineer
>>>>
>>>> Datasafe Platform
>>>>
>>>> Fiserv Enterprise Technology
>>>>
>>>> Fiserv
>>>>
>>>> [email protected]
>>>>
>>>> Office: 1-800-523-7282 x 1673
>>>>
>>>> Fax: 610-293-4499
>>>>
>>>> www.fiserv.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> From: Kelli Sterley [mailto:[email protected]]
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 11:34 AM
>>>>
>>>> To: NT System Admin Issues
>>>> Subject: Re: Monday morning not-so-funny
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Had something like that once ... All of a sudden the internet went out
>>>> in the middle of the day.  I happened to look out the front window and our
>>>> internet provider had a tent over a man hole cover.  So I went out there 
>>>> and
>>>> yelled down the hole - Hey what the heck did you just do?  Scaring the crud
>>>> out of the tech.  Seems he had a drawing showing unused internet lines to
>>>> cut and ours was listed to be cut.  He said he figured it was still live 
>>>> cuz
>>>> he got one heck of a shock from it.  Luckly they fixed it sooner than 
>>>> later.
>>>>
>>>> Kelli
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Feb 21, 2011 at 11:25 AM, Devin Meade <[email protected]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hello all,
>>>>
>>>> Our electric provider, OG&E, calls us at 10 AM saying "We are replacing
>>>> your meter now and we will cut your power off in about 1 min".  Our
>>>> facilities mgr says "Uh no you don't, you didn't' schedule it".  They say
>>>> they must do it.  So we say we need at least 15 min and shame on you for 
>>>> not
>>>> scheduling it.  So we have just about everything powered down, when they
>>>> call back.  They accidentally had the wrong address, it's really the
>>>> building up the street under renovation ... and we are so sorry.  So we now
>>>> start powering up our systems.  I just had to share this ... you can't make
>>>> this up!
>>>>
>>>> Devin
>
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