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  1. #1
    Master Navigator koØm's Avatar
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    If

    "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the Government, and I'm here to help."
    Then, the next most terrifying phrase is, "I'm from the cable company and I am here to fix your problems".

    The first "Joe" that they sent out changed the connecter, put a splitter in the line because, "My signal levels were too high". He then goes outside and fiddlers with the distribution box; comes back and changes out the Cable Modem and then claimed that the problem was solved. I pay for 200 M-bits down and 11 M-bits down, I was only receiving 17 down and 4 up. He didn't fix the problem, claiming that I could only run one router / switch (Theirs) on the cable drop -- BULLSHIT!

    I called back and explained my circumstance and, another TEK was dispatched -- one hour before "Billy" got there, my Modem had been re-provisioned so that all four ethernet ports on the Modem were active and up to speed but, the DHCP was handing out IP addys of 10.1.x.x and, 192.168.1.150's. My old installation was sit up in such a manner that my outboard routers were operating as Wi-Fi / Network extenders, not separate network segments. The speeds dropped back down to unacceptable levels.

    After another phone call to Spectrum sends out "Larry-the-cable-Guy" who does nothing but jerk me around until I Cum like Mt. Vesuvius blowing lava and hot boulders; the final straw was when he told me that there was nothing else that could be done and this was the best service that I could expect.

    Pissed, I made another call and was transferred to "level-3 support" who ran diagnostics from their end and they told me that the problems that I was experiencing could have not been fixed by the TEKs who screwed up my installation instead of just escalating the problem to "Level Three." They are dispatching outside linemen to address the local "Campus" issues. I am reconfiguring my devices.

    In the past, I have been a "Power-user / Network-keeper" for a couple of small installations; I may not know everything but I do know that if you give me a signal I can work with and responsive equipment, I can solve 99.9% of the internal problems. I also know when, you are insulting my intelligence or, demonstration your lack thereof.

    tl:dr Spectrum TEKs are nothing more than "Like-4-Like" part swappers with very little in depth training past how to turn a 7/16 box wrench.

    .



  2. #2
    "Island Bartender" KG4CGC's Avatar
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    Yeah, but aren't you glad they're drug tested for cannabis?

  3. #3
    Master Navigator koØm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KG4CGC View Post
    Yeah, but aren't you glad they're drug tested for cannabis?
    Having been a "Field Service Representative" for a Fortune-500 Company (Before mandatory drug screenings) I know that for me, walking into a tense situations "Cool", made it easier to accept the misdirected abuse and blame because someone on-site missed their deadline and wanted to blame it on the "Copier-duplicator-mainframe-network-serviceperson-connection."

    I was cordial to all of the service personnel; doesn't pay to piss them off while they are still on site.

    .


  4. #4
    Administrator N8YX's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by koØm View Post

    tl:dr Spectrum TEKs are nothing more than "Like-4-Like" part swappers with very little in depth training past how to turn a 7/16 box wrench.
    One of the area's ham radio cronies works for TW/Spectrum as a line tech.

    He is VERY knowledgeable about telecommunications tech, engineering and problem resolution. Of course, he's of the old guard which commands a higher rate of pay than modern-day read-from-the-script support people. You gets what ya pays for.
    "Everyone wants to be an AM Gangsta until it's time to start doing AM Gangsta shit."

  5. #5
    Orca Whisperer W3WN's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by koØm View Post


    Then, the next most terrifying phrase is, "I'm from the cable company and I am here to fix your problems".

    The first "Joe" that they sent out changed the connecter, put a splitter in the line because, "My signal levels were too high". He then goes outside and fiddlers with the distribution box; comes back and changes out the Cable Modem and then claimed that the problem was solved. I pay for 200 M-bits down and 11 M-bits down, I was only receiving 17 down and 4 up. He didn't fix the problem, claiming that I could only run one router / switch (Theirs) on the cable drop -- BULLSHIT!

    I called back and explained my circumstance and, another TEK was dispatched -- one hour before "Billy" got there, my Modem had been re-provisioned so that all four ethernet ports on the Modem were active and up to speed but, the DHCP was handing out IP addys of 10.1.x.x and, 192.168.1.150's. My old installation was sit up in such a manner that my outboard routers were operating as Wi-Fi / Network extenders, not separate network segments. The speeds dropped back down to unacceptable levels.

    After another phone call to Spectrum sends out "Larry-the-cable-Guy" who does nothing but jerk me around until I Cum like Mt. Vesuvius blowing lava and hot boulders; the final straw was when he told me that there was nothing else that could be done and this was the best service that I could expect.

    Pissed, I made another call and was transferred to "level-3 support" who ran diagnostics from their end and they told me that the problems that I was experiencing could have not been fixed by the TEKs who screwed up my installation instead of just escalating the problem to "Level Three." They are dispatching outside linemen to address the local "Campus" issues. I am reconfiguring my devices.

    In the past, I have been a "Power-user / Network-keeper" for a couple of small installations; I may not know everything but I do know that if you give me a signal I can work with and responsive equipment, I can solve 99.9% of the internal problems. I also know when, you are insulting my intelligence or, demonstration your lack thereof.

    tl:dr Spectrum TEKs are nothing more than "Like-4-Like" part swappers with very little in depth training past how to turn a 7/16 box wrench.
    Makes me wonder... did the original tech once work for Verizon?

    Way back when, when it became available in the area, I had Verizon DSL installed. Tech insisted that only one computer (we had two in the townhouse) could be online at a time. He insisted he had to configure the computer himself. Now, the email was mine, but the Verizon account is in my wife's name (going back to when I moved in with her, when we got married). Suddenly my email has her name on it.

    Eventually got all that straightened out.

    A few years go by, Verizon FiOS becomes available. Different tech comes out. He insists that all of the DSL gear, including the filters, have to be returned to Verizon. Well, OK, no big deal, we're not going to use them again. Found out later that no, we had paid for that gear and we were allowed to keep it; Verizon didn't want it back. So what the heck did the tech do with, one wonders? Oh yes, the name on the primary email gets changed... again. Oh no, Verizon Customer Support tells me, that couldn't be, their techs aren't allowed to touch a customers computer.

    Right.

    A few more years go by. We've since moved into the house, and I had taken all the equipment with us, no hassles for once. But we started having some issues. Call Customer Support, they determine that the problem is the router. No sweat, they'll send out a tech with a new one, simple swap. Next morning, I get a call from the wife (she was on an afternoon shift that week). Tech is there with the router, insists that he not only MUST install the router himself, but that he ALSO is REQUIRED BY FCC RULES to examine EVERY single one of our computers... or no new router. Say what? Not this time. I tell her to not let him in the house; he's now sitting in his truck waiting. So, I call Support and raise holy hell. (You do NOT tell a DBA & former Network Admin that you have to check a computer to change a router, never mind the FCC rules part.) Support agrees with me that something isn't right. Don't know who said what to whom, but 5 minutes later, he knocks on the door, hands the wife the router, and leaves without a word. (I'm using that router to this day... and the old one? Sitting on a shelf in the basement)

    When Verizon FiOS was installed, they put a small UPS in the basement. I've had to change the batteries twice, over the years, at my own expense. Not a big deal. But about a year or so ago, we started having issues with our Caller ID. Finally got them to come out and look at it, it was a software issue in the outside FiOS box that they had to fix. But that day, when I come home, the UPS is unplugged from the wall outlet. No explanation to the wife (she was home recovering from the car accident). Called Support; they told me according to the tech notes, the UPS was somehow affecting the Caller ID (?) and we didn't need it anyway, as all power was supplied from the pole (via fiber?). Then they asked me why we had it installed. I pointed out that this was provided at the time of install by Verizon... even has their logo printed on it... but the tech reported it was not standard equipment.

    All righty then.

    Makes one wonder where they find these people.
    “Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. 90% of the people don’t care, the other 10% are glad it happened.” — Clint Hurdle, 2019

    BAN THE DH!

    Fudd's First Law of Opposition: If you push something hard enough, it WILL fall down.
    Teslacle's Deviant to Fudd's Law: It goes in, it must go out.

    Just remember: Abraham Lincoln didn't die in vain. He died in Washington, DC

    Cutch 2K!!

    “Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfed.” — Bernie Sanders

    Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati


  6. #6
    'Grumpy old bastid' kb2vxa's Avatar
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    VERIZON! Soooowly I turned...

    That's an old Vaudeville routine, I had such bad experience with them over the span of 4 months I cancelled and switched. Yesterday I was looking over pictures from 1910-1920 and thinking how much simpler life was before technology ruled our lives. Ah, for the days of spark transmitters and crystal receivers when the ARRL did something useful, relay messages.............

    Here's the new hardware a friend and fellow ham is installing, his Merlin software and experience makes it a half hour job.

    https://www.newegg.com/netgear-cm115...82E16825124027

    https://www.newegg.com/asus-rt-ax86u...9SIA4P0DH13644
    "The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you."
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    73 de Warren KB2VXA
    Station powered by atomic energy, operator powered by natural gas.

  7. #7
    Orca Whisperer W3WN's Avatar
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    "Soooowly I turned"??

    “Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. 90% of the people don’t care, the other 10% are glad it happened.” — Clint Hurdle, 2019

    BAN THE DH!

    Fudd's First Law of Opposition: If you push something hard enough, it WILL fall down.
    Teslacle's Deviant to Fudd's Law: It goes in, it must go out.

    Just remember: Abraham Lincoln didn't die in vain. He died in Washington, DC

    Cutch 2K!!

    “Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfed.” — Bernie Sanders

    Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati


  8. #8
    'Grumpy old bastid' kb2vxa's Avatar
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    The Stooges came from Vaudeville, I'm not surprised. So did Abbott & Costello along with Sidney Fields, they did several variations like Niagara Falls ans Susquehanna Hats on the Abbot & Costello TV show. These were the days of TV antennas, turret tuners, few channels, and most signed off at night. Then came The Cable Monster that ruined it all. Now with GHz digital the song needs revision to 357 Channels And Nothing On. Here's what Elvis thought of it so long ago.

    Elvis RCA TV @ Graceland.jpg
    "The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you."
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    73 de Warren KB2VXA
    Station powered by atomic energy, operator powered by natural gas.

  9. #9
    Master Navigator koØm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kb2vxa View Post
    I'm at a very impressionable moment right now; the cable junction box looks like a prime target.


  10. #10
    'Grumpy old bastid' kb2vxa's Avatar
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    ASSuming the box is on the house and accessible without climbing the pole it's easy enough to examine and figure out. That leaves the question, are other families served or are you the only one? If the former of course only mess with your service, if it's all yours you can set it up to your liking using simple common sense. First, to attenuate a line you use a 75 ohm attenuator, they're available in any dB value needed, a splitter used as one is horse hockey. (Credit to Colonel Potter.) Just wondering, why target the box? Please explain.

    From what I gather the modem and router are set up incorrectly because Dan Whitney is a comedian, Larry The Cable Guy is only his professional name. Unfortunately you're swerved by Sputum... Spectrum, if it was Commiecast I could put you in touch with my guru who is on his 4th modem & router install this weekend with the units in an above post. He uses Merlin software for the router, that is a DIY project maybe he could help with? As I understand it you don't need to be slave to the cable provider, the guys I know on cable systems use their own equipment. In the above post the modem has many interesting features like 2 telephone ports so with VoIP you can recreate the land line service AT&T discontinued. The router has built in VPN server/client and Samba and FTP server with account management for large file transfers among many more cool things. Cut the chains, be your own cable guy.

    6dB 75 ohm CATV attenuator.jpg
    "The universe is under no obligation to make sense to you."
    Neil deGrasse Tyson

    73 de Warren KB2VXA
    Station powered by atomic energy, operator powered by natural gas.

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