Fri Nov 20, 2009 11:33 am
My ISP is a dick
My connection went up the left last night so I called my ISP today to rectify the problem. I knew what the problem was. "DNS cannot resolve IP address". Easy fix, just find the DNS settings and change the IP to the right one. However, for some reason I couldn't find the right settings so I called up to find out why I wasn't able to change it like I did the last time my connection crapped out.
The girl took all my details, didn't listen to what I wanted and told me to restart my PC. Then she told me to restart my modem. I did this stuff already, but I figured they needed to check a few things at their end so I went along with it.
I was put on hold for a few minutes while she checked some things, came back and told me everything was working fine. I said I know, the problem is with my DNS, I need to find out how to reset these particular IP settings but I can't find the bloody thing in my network settings anywhere.
So she told me to type an IP into my address bar to check some things. I did it, and my browser wouldn't connect. Probably because the problem I was calling about was along the lines of my browser not connecting to anything.
Then she talked me through the control panel to get to network settings, which I had already had a good look at myself before calling up, and told me to read out the IPv4 address to make sure it was the same one she just read out to me. Of course it is, jesus christ. That's not the setting I'm looking for. Then she put me on hold for another few minutes and the line went dead.
Son of a bitch.
I kept my cool and called back, the new girl took my details again but couldn't differentiate between what a 2 and a 3 sounds like and even after finally getting my phone number correct she had trouble accessing my details - and gave me another number to call. "These are the people you need to talk to", she assures me. My ass they are, I know this trick... but as long as the person on this line understands numbers I guess we'll be ok. I dial the number. It takes me through some menus. All is right with the world until I hear the flood warning message which I got at the start of the original number I dialled... uh oh.
You got it. She gave me a number to take me through the menus I needed to get to the number I called in the first place.
At this point I was fucking pissed so I asked for a supervisor. I've worked in these places before so I know that giving them attitude gets you nowhere... I was very polite and calm, but I tell ya it wasn't easy. She took my details, then told me the people I was talking to weren't skilled to deal with my probem (as if she needed to tell me that) and that she would put me through to a bonafide technician. Now we're getting somewhere.
Except that, well, we're not. The new guy didn't listen to my problem either. My DNS can't resolve IP addresses. How do I fix. He ignores this issue and asks if I had restarted my PC and modem. Yes, I have. I also went to the toilet this morning and I peed for a really long time, is there anything else you need to know before we can get to the real problem? Actually yes, there is, because he asked if I had any expired anti-virus software on my PC.
Now that you mention it, yes I do, but it only just ran out and I'll be renewing it ASAP so this isn't the issue here... but he is insistent that he can't help me until I have anti-virus software. What does this have to do with anything? Obviously since I can't connect to the internet this isn't within my grasp just at the moment, so if you can just tell me where to find the DNS settings I will leave you in peace. He says he genuinely can't help, but he will write down a note of my problem so that if I call back after updating my anti-virus with my non-existent connection he will be able to help me.
That was definately an hour well spent. I decided to reinstall my router to see if that reset the DNS settings, which thankfully it did. My ISP is a dick. They should really make it a part of their training that if someone phones up and says anything to do with their DNS, tell them to reinstall their router instead of going through your stupid screens and putting them through the crap they already did. I did all that stuff prior to calling to save them the time of going through all the stupid stuff with me. I knew the exact problem, I wanted an answer, and this is what I got instead.
I can see why their call centre is based in india now... if their office was anywhere in the UK it's very likely that I'd have been down there breaking things.
Rant over.
The girl took all my details, didn't listen to what I wanted and told me to restart my PC. Then she told me to restart my modem. I did this stuff already, but I figured they needed to check a few things at their end so I went along with it.
I was put on hold for a few minutes while she checked some things, came back and told me everything was working fine. I said I know, the problem is with my DNS, I need to find out how to reset these particular IP settings but I can't find the bloody thing in my network settings anywhere.
So she told me to type an IP into my address bar to check some things. I did it, and my browser wouldn't connect. Probably because the problem I was calling about was along the lines of my browser not connecting to anything.
Then she talked me through the control panel to get to network settings, which I had already had a good look at myself before calling up, and told me to read out the IPv4 address to make sure it was the same one she just read out to me. Of course it is, jesus christ. That's not the setting I'm looking for. Then she put me on hold for another few minutes and the line went dead.
Son of a bitch.
I kept my cool and called back, the new girl took my details again but couldn't differentiate between what a 2 and a 3 sounds like and even after finally getting my phone number correct she had trouble accessing my details - and gave me another number to call. "These are the people you need to talk to", she assures me. My ass they are, I know this trick... but as long as the person on this line understands numbers I guess we'll be ok. I dial the number. It takes me through some menus. All is right with the world until I hear the flood warning message which I got at the start of the original number I dialled... uh oh.
You got it. She gave me a number to take me through the menus I needed to get to the number I called in the first place.
At this point I was fucking pissed so I asked for a supervisor. I've worked in these places before so I know that giving them attitude gets you nowhere... I was very polite and calm, but I tell ya it wasn't easy. She took my details, then told me the people I was talking to weren't skilled to deal with my probem (as if she needed to tell me that) and that she would put me through to a bonafide technician. Now we're getting somewhere.
Except that, well, we're not. The new guy didn't listen to my problem either. My DNS can't resolve IP addresses. How do I fix. He ignores this issue and asks if I had restarted my PC and modem. Yes, I have. I also went to the toilet this morning and I peed for a really long time, is there anything else you need to know before we can get to the real problem? Actually yes, there is, because he asked if I had any expired anti-virus software on my PC.
Now that you mention it, yes I do, but it only just ran out and I'll be renewing it ASAP so this isn't the issue here... but he is insistent that he can't help me until I have anti-virus software. What does this have to do with anything? Obviously since I can't connect to the internet this isn't within my grasp just at the moment, so if you can just tell me where to find the DNS settings I will leave you in peace. He says he genuinely can't help, but he will write down a note of my problem so that if I call back after updating my anti-virus with my non-existent connection he will be able to help me.
That was definately an hour well spent. I decided to reinstall my router to see if that reset the DNS settings, which thankfully it did. My ISP is a dick. They should really make it a part of their training that if someone phones up and says anything to do with their DNS, tell them to reinstall their router instead of going through your stupid screens and putting them through the crap they already did. I did all that stuff prior to calling to save them the time of going through all the stupid stuff with me. I knew the exact problem, I wanted an answer, and this is what I got instead.
I can see why their call centre is based in india now... if their office was anywhere in the UK it's very likely that I'd have been down there breaking things.
Rant over.
then 
It had done that a few times before and simply restarting everything worked, but this time it wasn't having any of it. Reinstalling the drivers worked a treat so it's all good... if I have this problem again I won't have to deal with them.
