Calling your ISP
By kbourgerie
@kbourgerie (8780)
United States
March 3, 2008 7:31pm CST
Recently I had a problem with my internet service. Their telephone technical advisor couldn't answer the question, so I resorted to calling the Windows website, who wanted to charge me for their assistance. I couldn't believe it. After spending all that money on a Windows program, now you want to charge me additionally, because I have questions about your program? Have you ever had to call your internet service provider for technical advice or do you normally figure it out on your own? Even if you feel that your broadband speed is worthy, do you feel that the technical support you receive is worth its weight in gold?
4 people like this
12 responses
@tonyllenium (6252)
• Italy
4 Mar 08
ehehe!!i think that the isp custumer care usually isn't so good normally people answer you are not so interested or have technical knowledge about the network so on but just entrained to answer you to the most answered questions and stop!!
so i had problems with my service privider in the past and connection and solved to do it but my own such as i come to the router and made a little change and it is all fine...if not as so or i spend hours by phone solving nothing or i call a technician and spend much money...!!i think both hyphotesis not so good!!
@justabloke (526)
• United States
4 Mar 08
The thing about home networks is that most routers come pre-configured to provide the simplest solution. You connect your router to your modem and then all your computers connect to your router. If you choose wireless, it'll come with no encryption and the wireless network will probably be the name of the maker of the device.
It does take a little more to configure the router if you need more than the basic.
I needed to configure my router to allow traffic to go to my web server and my own mail server. It wouldn't work, because the modem provided by my ISP blocked it, with no way to unblock it that I could find. My ISP wouldn't work with me or provide documentation as they didn't support anything other than the modem they sent out with a PC plugged directly into it.
I did some searching around and figured out how to configure the modem to be in "pass thru" mode, which basically passes all network information to the next device in line, which in my case was the router. Then I could configure the router to allow certain ports through and block the rest. This isn't rocket science, but, it isn't that easy either. I work in Networking, so, I think it was easier for me to follow. But, most ISP's and most modems do not all work the same way. When I had a cable ISP, their modem worked differently and it was in essence already running "pass thru" mode.
Thinking about it, the more you add to your house network the harder it beomes. I recently added our Wii and my sons Nintendo DS's to the wireless network and it took a while to figure out mainly as the way they handled encryption was somewhat different to what I have seen before.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
4 Mar 08
It sounds strange.
What exactly were you trying to ask?
And the customer service for internet services is notoriously bad and I think it is across the board. And it is commonly run by incompetent people who treat you like technical idiots and are not much better themselves.
@lordwarwizard (35747)
• Singapore
4 Mar 08
Oh, just to add, I don't have experience with calling Microsoft so I can't comment.
@wolfie34 (26771)
• United Kingdom
4 Mar 08
Half the battle is getting someone who understands you on IT! That's why I gave BT up because all their call centres are stationed in India, no disrespect to anyone here, but when they can't understand you and you can't understand them and trying to explain the technical difficulties and the fact that you don't use a PC, I use a Mac! I am now with Sky who's package is very very reasonable indeed, reliable and their technical support are based in the UK which is a big big plus. Some ISP's technical support you have to pay expensive call charges for and I have had different ISPs in the past and to be honest I haven't had much luck with the IT support department
@Ohara_1983 (4117)
• Kuwait
5 Mar 08
in the bigining i try my best to solve the problem but if not i will try to call the technical support, as we know they need some charge but not much, but still they will charge us atleast the problem is solve, if not i will not pay them actually.
@KKKBsmom (1092)
• United States
4 Mar 08
USUALLY... I figure it out on my own...
But there have been those days that I have had to call my isp and they almost always are able to help me.
Altho, I have allready done a lot of research for the problem I am having on the interent! LOL
I think Isp should be able to help with most problems. But if it is a program problem then I am not sure that is really their problem!
@justabloke (526)
• United States
4 Mar 08
I had to call my ISP last month as my internet connection had crawled to about 1/10th of the speed. I did my own research first, using free online bandwidth testers, changing cables and resetting equipment. When I contacted the ISP, I had to do it all again, but, I knew what the results would yeild. They still spent all the time trying to suggest it was my problem, not theirs. They then decided it was a modem problem and sent me a new one. No change. After about 2 weeks they sent a guy to the house, where he saw EXACTLY what I saw and was reporting. He was fine about it and referred it straight out to his local team. Within a day everything was back to normal.
So, I called up the ISP and (knowing full well it was working) acted dumb and asked them if they had found a problem yet. After they said they had fixed it, I asked them what the problem was. Once they said it was a problem in their equipment, I asked for a rebate. They tried to argue, but, I pointed out that the first ticket was opened nearly 2 weeks ago and that if they had checked their stuff first and listened to me it wouldn't have taken so long.
I asked for 1/2 off the month.
Yesterday, the bill arrived with the rebate I had asked for included as a credit.
The key is to keep notes of dates and to be nice, but, firm and not to let them know that you may actually know something and then to be fair. I asked for 2 weeks rebate, as I had 2 impaired use.
@maddysmommy (16230)
• United States
4 Mar 08
Our ISP is also our cable and phone provider and they are usually good when it comes to fixing things with either three things and its all part of the service. But I must say that I am also lucky to have an IT expert on hand, my husband free of charge LOL When he is around and not travelling, he fixes everything to do with our internet connection, laptops and all. When he is gone and I can't reach him then I go through our cable company or just wait until I get intouch with my hubby.
I did have to use the cable people once and all it was a switch on the cable box was not switched on LMAO boy did I feel like an idiot haha!
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
4 Mar 08
OMG, this just happened to me this past Sunday! I had called up my ISP because I had been advised to do so. Once I was able to get an actual person, whom I couldn't quite understand, I told her what the problem was and she told me what steps to take, which of course were the same steps I already took thanks to some of the mylotters on here. I told her that it wasn't any of these things, so she told me to call my computer's manufacturer and let them know what error message I was getting and to let them know there was a hardware conflict. So I gave them a call and had the joy of waiting some more to talk to a real person, instead of one of those automated things. I let this person know what was going on and they asked me when I bought the computer. I told them it was about a year ago. This person then tells me matter of factly that I bought my computer on March 1st. If she knew this, why the hell did she ask??? She goes on to say that my warranty expired (I called 2 days too late) and that she will connect me to a technician, but that it would cost me to speak to this person. WTF??? I told her to forget it and hung up. I was so pissed, I didn't even bother to ask how much it would be, before hanging up on her.
Now all I need to do is try and figure out this conflict my computer is having...
These are the times I really hate having a computer.
@youless (112100)
• Guangzhou, China
4 Mar 08
ISP shouldn't charge any extra fees in my opinion. I experienced my internet speed was quite slow one night. And I called the ISP. They said there was nothing wrong with it. By the way, their service is bad and they always regard all the complaints are the problems of the customers. After half an hour of my complaint, the internet connection speed was fine again. So I am sure it's their problem.
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
4 Mar 08
Really K, how on Earth is poor Bill going to make any money if his customers don't pay through the nose for all those little extras, like help? Of course those of us that don't use Windows products don't have this problem. Apple employ someone to give you free care for up to 3 years - well when I say free I mean about $300. A mere bagatelle. But there is a way around it. I use the Apple forums, of which there are many. Every one of them has a group of diehard experts who know as much, if not more, than the Apple geniuses. There are loads for Windows too. Of course whatever they recommend doesn't come with a guarantee, but then I am not certain that the manufacturers do either. In fairness to Apple, you can take your computer to one of their stores and they will look at it for free. My nearest Apple store is 45 minutes away, then you've got to get parked, carry the computer into the Mall, up a flight of stairs. Heck, I think I'll stay here and pay!
