DSL = DS-Hell!

Hey, I finally got broadband working! That's cool. But what it took to get there...I've never gotten so much misinformation from so many different people in such a short period of time. This was dealing with Qwest, BTW.

First they said their system wasn't compatible with AOL and I'd have to use MSN. Not true.

The person who sold me the service said that for an extra $50, the installer would network up to four computers. When the installer got here, he said they aren't computer guys, and that all he does is make sure that DSL gets to one computer.

I wanted to use DSL with my Windows XP laptop and Windows 98SE office machine. I figured I'd use Ethernet on the laptop and USB on the office machine. The installer said it would require some secret codes or whatever to be able to use both machines, but it was possible. To make a long long long story short, I couldn't get the 98SE machine working. Got an error message that said "Outlook Express not installed." Well, I have Outlook installed, so I called tech support. They said to just keep tabbing past that, it didn't really matter...but it still didn't work.

I called again. Got a really, really dumb person on the phone. "I'll have to check with my supervisor" (insert sound of bad music on hold). Returns to say "You have to go to CompUSA and buy a copy of Outlook Express or something."

Or something, right. I went to Microsoft.com and downloaded Outlook Express. Still didn't work.

Called Tech Support. "Your call is important to us but we are experiencing heavy calls right now. Call back later. Good bye." Hey, I was willing to hold! Oh well.

Then I had an insight: I checked time zones and called late at night here during a time when I knew it would be between 9-5 in India. I was hoping I'd get some kind of outsourced tech support, which I find better than the homegrown variety (sorry). BINGO! Got some guy named VeeJay with an accent so thick you needed a chain saw to cut it, but he sure knew his stuff. Told me there were "known issues" with USB and 98SE, and suggested using Ethernet or upgrading to XP. So I grabbed a funky old Ethernet board, plugged it into the 98SE machine, and it worked. Then I plugged USB into the laptop - it worked too.

The whole process took hours and hours and hours but hey, it works. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the wireless part to talk to two other computers in the house...but with the advice from the previous broadband thread, I'm not worried

It probably has to do with splitting up the router to output both USB and the Ethernet,although I'm not sure.I have a dual boot internet machine with both Win 2K and Win ME,and after I configured my cable modem with Win 2K,my Win ME is considered another machine which would require me to pay for an additional IP,so my guess is your setup might work fine with just ethernet or USB all around.I'm just guessing here because I'm a bit new to this nonsense myself,but I'm guessing that splitting the connection between USB and eithernet is requiring seperate MAC Adresses.Good to see you got it working though,and lets hope you don't get 2 bills at the end of the month.

Ditto Craig - just installed broadband myself on my XP laptop - damn USB ADSL modem wouldn't install. Rang support who told to download new version of driver!.

Tried that - still no go - fortunately the support guy sent me an email which suggested, right down the bottom of the page, to install in safe mode - it worked.

Was still having problems connecting and have now discovered the modem won't connect when booted back up from hibernate

but broadband is cool - have spent my evenings flying around the world on google earth - cool program.

cheers

john

Did I not warn you about Qwest? Huh?

Some people's children, I tell you....

I think that the 98/USB comment was probably on the mark. As more time passes, 98 becomes more incompatible with newer hardware, and I find that USB is one of the biggest drawbacks.

I hate it when people make comments like the AOL/MSN thing, too. I pay for an internet pipe - don't tell me I have to use your pet service to connect to it. (BTW - I don't use AOL, MSN, or any portal. I open my browser & find my own way around, thank you.)

Gld you finally got it worked out, though.

Welcome to the world of speed.

I'm curious why you have a machine still running 98SE. Is the hardware too antiquated to run XP acceptably? I'm now a Mac user, but I also have a lot of experience with Wintel machines. All I can say is that the first Microsoft OS I've ever thought was pretty good was XP. I think XP and Mac OS X are pretty close to each other in terms of stability and performance and ease of use.

I had a TON of trouble with 98SE.

Crag:

1) Sorry to hear of your misfortunes, but that's unfortunately the rule, not the exception when you talk to Call Centre Cube Monkeys.

2) Welcome to Broadband! Please be advised that you can never go back.

amplayer:

"Mac OSX Apple, wintel[sic] XP 98SE"

You realize what you've just started, right?

I've gone through similar complications getting roadrunner and awireless network set up here.

In my numerous encoutners with linksys tech support, I have received wildly , comically inconsitent instructions and advice, culminating when one Indian or otherwise Asian woman told me, repeeatedly and in broken English, to "get Boingo because it is really good." Strange stuff.

The hardest part of all, though, has not been sorting through the tech support suggestions to find the winnig forumla but just making my situation clear . I don't know what kind of diagnostic rubrics and scripts these reps are using but, man, was it frustrating just trying to get my basic issues expressed and acknowledged.

"Yes! Yes! The adapter card is in the compuer! No, the computer is not cabled up to the router!" and on and on...

Eh, thanks for the memories Craig:rolleyes:

PS -- all is working well now, knock on laminate, and broadband is a gift from the heavens. I still giggle everytime m a download averages 540 kbps. I used to be happy 4.8. I'd say a 100x bump in download speed is acceptable!

Of course, broadband is cool.

But as it gets more prevalent, everything on the Internet is getting "bigger". Soon we'll be back in the same boat as the Dialup Days.

Some of y'all know what I mean.

It's the only game in town for my location, other than Comcast, and that has its own problems..."In the land of the blind, the one-eyed is king."

>

My music computer runs XP Pro and my laptop, XP Home. But I do all my online stuff with my office computer, and 98SE seems like it's never targeted for viruses, worms, etc. I haven't had any problems with that sort of thing. I'll upgrade to a new machine and XP one of these days, but it works, and for surfing, word processing, and spreadsheets, I don't need too much.

>

Well, I thought Oingo Boingo was a pretty good band too, but it's weird to bring that up on a tech support call involving broadband...

>

Remember when operating systems fit on a floppy disk and programs fit in 16MB of RAM?!?!?

Remember when operating systems fit on a floppy disk and programs fit in 16MB of RAM?!?!?

Actually, I remember the whole computer, OS, ROM and RAM fitting on a single chip, and writing amazing programs and accomplishing incredible feats with 16K of memory to work with.

I also remember when cars only had 3 gears!

Cable TV meant no commercials, MTV only played Music Videos. My Schwinn Stingray with the banana seat and ape-hanger bars was the coolest, most badassenest ride around and oh look! the phone's ringing... . Better grab that..

When I clicked on this thread I was expecting it to be about Marshalls. Lol.

Yes! Welcome to the Space Age, Senor Craig...

And PJC...the Marshalls are "TSL"... :D

I originally thought this would be about Marshalls too. Maybe Craig blew up his Dual Super Lead or something.....

Craig, do you like tubes at all?

Originally posted by Tedster Yes! Welcome to the Space Age, Senor Craig... And PJC...the Marshalls are " T SL"... :D

See Phaeton's post.

You guys..

You guys..

What? Sorry, i was blasting my Vox ISDN 30

Well, I've got a TSL122. Uhh...(looks around...whispers)...*it's in the shop right now...but it's done*

....not to mention:

I've got a little black book with my stompboxes in.

A gig bag with a wangbar and a picks in.

When I'm a good dog Sam's throws sets of strings in.

I got elastic straps keeping my rig on.

Got those swollen hand blues.

I've got thirteen channels of {censored} on the Peavey to choose from.

I've got a standby light.

And I've got tubes glowing bright.

I've got amazing powers of compression.

Originally posted by Anderton Hey, I finally got broadband working! That's cool. But what it took to get there...I've never gotten so much misinformation from so many different people in such a short period of time. This was dealing with Qwest, BTW. First they said their system wasn't compatible with AOL and I'd have to use MSN. Not true. The person who sold me the service said that for an extra $50, the installer would network up to four computers. When the installer got here, he said they aren't computer guys, and that all he does is make sure that DSL gets to one computer. I wanted to use DSL with my Windows XP laptop and Windows 98SE office machine. I figured I'd use Ethernet on the laptop and USB on the office machine. The installer said it would require some secret codes or whatever to be able to use both machines, but it was possible. To make a long long long story short, I couldn't get the 98SE machine working. Got an error message that said "Outlook Express not installed." Well, I have Outlook installed, so I called tech support. They said to just keep tabbing past that, it didn't really matter...but it still didn't work. I called again. Got a really, really dumb person on the phone. "I'll have to check with my supervisor" (insert sound of bad music on hold). Returns to say "You have to go to CompUSA and buy a copy of Outlook Express or something." Or something, right. I went to Microsoft.com and downloaded Outlook Express. Still didn't work. Called Tech Support. "Your call is important to us but we are experiencing heavy calls right now. Call back later. Good bye." Hey, I was willing to hold! Oh well. Then I had an insight: I checked time zones and called late at night here during a time when I knew it would be between 9-5 in India. I was hoping I'd get some kind of outsourced tech support, which I find better than the homegrown variety (sorry). BINGO! Got some guy named VeeJay with an accent so thick you needed a chain saw to cut it, but he sure knew his stuff. Told me there were "known issues" with USB and 98SE, and suggested using Ethernet or upgrading to XP. So I grabbed a funky old Ethernet board, plugged it into the 98SE machine, and it worked. Then I plugged USB into the laptop - it worked too. The whole process took hours and hours and hours but hey, it works. Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the wireless part to talk to two other computers in the house...but with the advice from the previous broadband thread, I'm not worried

Is this the first broadband connection you have had? If so this really surprises me. I could not fathom going back or using a dial up.

Sorry to hear of your experiences with the technically challenged, regardless of their job position. Glad you finally got it all together.

This episode reminds me of a *cute quote* I ran across some time back... "90 percent of people in any category think they rank in the top 10 percentile of knowledge and/or experience." I always think of that before I comment on something. I still make mistakes, but fewer than I used to.

Yes. I first went online in about 1983, and lived in Mendocino county in Northern California. I'm surprised that phone lines went there, let alone broadband...

I moved to Florida about 10 years ago and again, lived out in the country. Again, not close enough for DSL, no cable, and DirecTV's satellite service had fast downloads, but sloooooooow uploads so it was worthless to me.

Eventually where I lived started to become consumed by urban sprawl, and it was time to move...DSL arrived just a few months before I left.

So here I am, at the very end of the line, but capable of getting DSL!! A friend a couple miles down the road can't get it. Guess things broke in my direction this time

Craig, dump Qwest, their DSL sucks. Look into www.speakeasy.net - they are phenomenal. I used to use Qwest, but got tired of their BS. I now have Speakeasy and they rock.