RANT: Earthlink is TICKING ME OFF! (A rant composed in 3 minute bursts)

[Dannyalcatraz]

As of this moment, Earthlink, our DSL provider, has been spotty at best.

We have not been able to maintain a stable connection in over 3 weeks. We actualy had ZERO service for 2 weeks of that time.

And let me tell you...the Customer Support hasn't supported this customer very well.

(Ending this post to make sure it gets posted- currently, we're losing connection every 3 minutes or so.)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Their Customer support is clearly outsourced- in the 7 or 8 calls I've made on this since mid-October, I've been talking to people with distinct Indian and teutonic accents (I'm not sure where Sven and his buddies are, but its definitely NOT India.)

The problem is, I'm sure if they would actually send someone to the house, the problem would have been figured out, oh....3 weeks ago. But they're not going to buy Sven a plane ticket to Texas for little ol us.

My conversations have invariably followed the pattern of "Change a whole bunch of connections, reverse ends on the cables, connect the DSL to a different computer, reset your DSL, blah blah blah, call this other number"...

Which connects us to their Router/LAN people...who point out within a minute of calling that since the problem persisted when the DSL was directly connected to the wall and a single computer, it cannot be the Router/Switcher we're using.

When I call back, the process starts over.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

When the process "resets," the tech on the other end does not seem to understand that I've already done everything they're telling me to do.

The third tech was special- after telling her how many hours I spent doing the same things she's telling me to do at that time on the previous 2 calls, she simply tells me to "Do it again."

Multiple times.

What was she expecting? I'm pretty sure the Technology Fairy doesn't visit Coppell!

I've now spent several hours on the phone- about 2 work days worth- 80% of which has been on hold.

Listening to Pachabel's Canon. That's a lively little 3 minute classical composition that gets old after an hour. I figure I've heard it more than 400 times now...I may just snap if I hear it performed live anytime this year...

As soon as I can get my E-mail messages (accumulating at about 200/day) saved onto my computer's hard drive, I'm calling Verizon to switch to their FiOs service.

Currently, I've been on the phone for the past 1hr 17 minutes and counting- 15 minutes of which has been spent talking to human beings.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Is it a dedicated line for your DSL, or does your POTS service run over it as well?

With your router, are you getting a link light for the DSL? Also, does Earthlink use PPPoE? they probably do, you use a login name/password to actually connect?

IME, 99% of persistent issues with DSL are actually the fault of the local phone company, and getting them to admit that is an exercise in major frustration.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

After an hour and a half (today), and (apparently) an inspection of our phone box, I'm told I need to have an NID splitter installed on our main phone box...

Not that Earthlink supplies such- I'll have to go to the phone company or a 3rd party to have one installed.

We've been Earthlink customers for YEARS, and they're treating me like dirt.

Tech support in which I'm doing all the work is like going to a mechanic who just tells you what to do- that is NOT going to a mechanic, that's getting instruction in how to fix your own car.

So now the quandry- call and have a device (of unknown price and function) installed before we drop them, or just drop them?

To answer your questions:

Its a dedicated line for the DSL.

Earthlink uses both TCP/IP and PPPoE- TCP/IP is the mode we need to run our LAN. The only time we've needed to login is when we go to PPPoE mode, which we've used only during troubleshooting this 3 week service nightmare.

The link light on our switch goes on and off depending upon our level of service.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

A NID splitter basically does what all the in-line filters do, except it does it once for the whole system. The in-line microfilters are the little dongles that (presumably) you have all your POTS phones in the house plugged into.

Earthlink is basically punting. They can't know that this will fix the problem without a tech onsite to test the lines. However, if it *is* an internal wiring issue, you'll have the same problem regardless of who you get your DSL from, as they are all going to run over the same circuit from your local telephone company.

It could just as easily be a problem with the line from your house to the street, or somewhere else upstream, but like I said, getting the phone company to admit it is futile. Sometimes you have better luck when you're getting your DSL from them directly, but not always.

The splitter will probably cost you around $50. If you know what you are doing, you can install it yourself, but if you aren't technically inclined, you want to have someone do it for you. Losing your phone and data at the same time isn't fun, nor is having to pay the phone company to come out and fix it for you. It is a relatively quick install usually, though.

Did they have you try physically disconnecting all other phone-type devices in the house? I've seen instances where a flaky in-line microfilter caused all sorts of problems.

 

[Aeson]

I had a problem for a long time. In the summer the box on the side of the house would be in direct sunlight. When this happened our DSL would stop working. I tried on many occasion to get Bellsouth to fix it. Finally on Easter this year they sent someone out to fix it.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Did they have you try physically disconnecting all other phone-type devices in the house?

Not after I explained to them that the DSL had its own line all by itself.

Earthlink is basically punting. They can't know that this will fix the problem without a tech onsite to test the lines.

That was our feeling- especially after they gave us 3 different numbers for Linksys (who, as I pointed out, deduced in seconds that their product wasn't the problem) and then had the nerve to tell us they didn't send out techs to people's houses.

So...basically, I'm their hands for tech support? I don't fix my car by paying Big Eddie to look over my shoulder and "crank this" or "jiggle that"- I don't like doing that for my troublesome compuer problems, rare though they are.

Problem solved, however- Verizon comes to the house on Tuesday. We're getting FiOs internet access, cable TV (with 2 DVRs), and a wired & wireless LAN...for less money than Earthlink & Time-Warner's "services."

 

[ssampier]

I emphasize. I used to work for a phone company doing tech support (DSL and dialup). I heard some doozies. I am sorry you are having problems.

Of course if what you describe is happening I would have generally would send a technician out. The minimum they could have done is trace the line from their equipment in the CO to the NIU.

Of course, my expertise was on the local networking side. When it came to the actual electronics, I was at a loss.