SBC Tech Support - any tricks?

[widebody911]

I keep having problems with my PacBell/SBC/AT&T (whatever the fsck they're called this week) DSL line. I call support, and get some Indian guy/gall named "Steve" or "Cindy" who perpetually apologizes for my problem, but has no real resources to fix it other than to read from a script "Is the power on?" "Can you see your windows XP?" <--- yes, they really did ask that!

They do the 'line test' song and dance, and of course they don't find a problem.

What's the magic word to get this escalated to someone who can actually fix it?

I have two basic problems (which I can't seem to communicate to the Indians)

* Degradation of bandwidth over time: The modem's "DSL" light is on, but my bandwidth steadily decreaes over time to zero. Some times it comes back on it's own, but 95% of the time I have to power-cycle the modem.

* Spontaneous disconnects: the connection spontaneously drops - and the "DSL" light goes out - two or three times a day. What's interesting about that is the times of day are pretty consistent - around 6:30am, 3:30pm and 9:00pm I was tracking it for a while, and the day-to-day disconnects would be within minutes of each other. I know it's doing it at other times of the day, but I'm usually not home to witness it. I know that back in the day, some ISPs would cycle entire banks of modems to clear dead connections and kick off people who were camping - I wonder if this is what they're doing.

I've done some shopping for an alternate provider, but the only options are ComCast (cable) and SureWest (fiber). Comcast is almost $60 a month for just internet - I don't want 20000 cable channels - I don't watch TV! SureWest says they don't have service in my area, although I watched them string the fiber along the poles on the side of my house, and I see their service vans in my neightborhood from time to time. I guess if service isn't available in my area, they wouldn't mine me cutting through that nice trunk of cable with some bolt cutters - they're not using it anyway, right?

[tobster1911]

I thought you ment Small Block Chevy. I was going to suggest you use carb cleaner and hit it with a hammer. Normally works.....


I could be the DSL modem. How old is it? I just had to get my cable modem replaced because they upgraded the system and the old ones were not supposed to work any more. The tech came out and replaced it. He seemed surprised that there were any of these old ones left.

I was having the same symptoms as you....

[slakjaw]

Just ditch ATT thats your best option!!!!

If you do cut the fiber, be prepared to get no lubed, you butt will bleed for months. Its really not worth it.

[Tim Walsh]

I didn't have the bandwidth degradation, but for almost a year we had the spontaneous disconnects and flakey performance finally a site tech found a second phone line wired into the first. If you insist enough they will send a tech out to look at it and run site tests (at least here on the other coast).

[PeteT]

Thom,
I just PM'd you. Might be able to help
Pete