Flowerburst

Another image of the flowers in the park opposite mum's care home. 

Have been away from Blip for a little due to a number of reasons, not least of which is an ongoing fight with our broadband and ISP.

It stopped working last Sunday. Some months ago, I attached an old phone to the router and set it up as a back-up dual WAN connection. Initially, it didn't automatically kick in, but some minor config change, it came up. Thanks to this we haven't been off totally, however, the speed is significantly reduced, but, at least we still have VoIP for our 'land-line' numbers, access to my parents security cameras and VPN links and all other usual browsing and email services.

A bit of checking done on Monday and clearly the broadband still wasn't working. Having a complete mistrust of the efficacy of the ISP router, I use their router in modem mode and have my own behind it. That has some decent diagnostics and interface. The usual first response to any queries by all ISPs is to blame the customer equipment. The router showed that the ISP broadband wasn't providing an public IP address when asked (although initially it was serving a private network 192.168.x.x address - an odd situation, but I put that down to local setup and configuration as you reboot their equipment).

So, I plugged my laptop into what should be raw internet. Nothing. The chances of two devices that were both working fine both now failing is very small.

Tuesday - after a number of failed black-start resets, I reported the problem on-line and then, following their diagnostics reporting no service problems and that our connection was working fine, after some digging, I searched out the customer support number (which, as usual is not displayed anywhere on their website - Google is your friend) I spent the usual 30 minutes on hold before getting through to a real person (who were 5 1/2 timezones away).
Then the usual, have you done this? Yes. Have you done that? Yes.....Yes, Yes
I told them the exact fault - Your network is not providing DHCP services - I don't have and can't get a valid public IP address? I can prove this by two different routes. I have proved my equipment. Please investigate and fix the fault.

24 hours later - Nothing.

Went online again and the called again to follow up the fault and, to great surprise, I was offered an engineer callout. On the basis that when you get a real engineer captive in your own home, I thought I'd take it.

Thursday - The engineer arrived as requested. Couldn't fault him at all (at this point anyhow). He recognised that I might just know a bit about broadband and IP. He replaced the ISP router for a much newer version. Spend forty five minutes while that updated and got to a point where it was useable. Put it into modem mode - and : Nothing. Some further diagnosis and his test equipment reports exactly the fault I advised 48 hours earlier.

At that point, he consulted with colleagues and then decided to restart what he was doing and go back to a bank canvas. Halfway through that, they have another melt-down somewhere in their support network and things stopped - he couldn't do anything further. He left leaving the router in a mode where it should re-do updates. Said he would track the fault and call back if it wasn't closed.

Friday - Nothing. No follow up, contact, updates etc. So, back to the phone and another endless wait on hold after navigating through the seemingly endlessly changing "Customer Support" phone menu.

Beginning to lose my rag a little now.
Asked for a complaint to be raised - 5 days without broadband on what has recently become a premium cost service. Complaint accepted without question and some recompense by a credit. Also a promise that the correct people would be bought on board to rectify the fault. Along with that, a different number to call for assistance when I had more time to talk.

Later, I called that number - It was answered "Gadget Assistance". My heart sank. While the call was answered almost immediately, it was back into their usual "Lets run through the usual 'you're a dumb customer, let's show you how to reset things' routine. STOP - Please read the ticket I (while thinking FFS!!!!).

"Ah - yes, I see. I promise that within 24 hours, the problem will be fixed."

Saturday - 24 hours later, you guessed........

The mobile phone backup is working hard still.

I expect the resolution will be to buy a decent dual WAN router that supports 5G GSM connections. The monthly cost for unlimited broadband is much lower than the existing broadband, even with two SIMs in use). 

What a dire state our service industry is in when it is cheaper, quicker and more reliable to DIY things yourself.

Oh - and BTW - anyone on a BT landline - all your phone service is going to VoIP over broadband in two years time. That means, that if your power goes off, you do not have access to 999 services. Currently, making a call on a fixed landline guarantees of a response even if you can't talk. The line will work. You can call using a plain old telephone, even when the power fails (unless you have a wireless phone where the base-station needs power). The line however works. Your last line of contact is maintained. Emergency services have access to your address from your landline number. All that goes when go change to VoIP. 

What happens when your power goes off? Everyone goes on their phone to get onto Facebook to ask - 'My broadband isn't working - Has anyone else's power gone off?'. After a few hours, any batteries in the base station will be depleted - that is if they have been maintained and work as it is - Anyone familiar with UPS systems (and generators) know they're are pretty much useless because it costs a great deal to keep them running and available. More often than not, they fail when called to service. Your mobile won't be of any use either.

We will all be a little less safe in the extreme situations when we most need help. All in the sake of reducing costs.....


And breathe......