Before it pegs out again, I’d like to tell you about my latest Internet saga. They seem to be endless!
For over two years we endured a company that simply could not provide what we require, no matter how many satellite dishes and upgrades I purchased.
Each time I thought I had it sorted, the goal post moved.
But finally, because of Covid and home-schooling, our neighbour up the hill jumped up and down enough to get us granted permission to have a cable company install their equipment.
It was a company that had been recommended, so I got online to see what they offered.
There were still six months to go on my old ISP contract, but “no problem! We’ll buy it out, up to $500.”
It was a no-brainer. We could get unlimited access for $50 less than I was paying for service that was only reliable 3 weeks out of four.
So I called them up and told them who I was and where, etc etc etc. The project could happen within 3 weeks. Someone would be in touch.
They weren’t.
But the neighbour had to push for it and she was on top of things, sort of. After about two months, she texted me to say the cable guys were coming to assess the terrain.
We saw poles going up and markers laid but still no-one called me and we began to feel forgotten.
Grant said “if they are so interested in our business, you would think they might show it. Maybe we’re going from fat to fire?”
He had a point but I was determined to rid myself of the other folk who had extorted money shamelessly.
And I didn’t even have to call the new people because one day Grant was outside and caught sight of one of the chaps working on the new installation.
And, surprise! “Oh yes, we’ve got you on the list. Someone will contact you next week.”
No, they didn’t.
You see a pattern here?
By keeping in touch with the neighbours, we eventually found ourselves getting hooked up. It was right before the first of the unending snow fell.
So then we had an orange cable, running from the new box at the end of the driveway, across the grass, behind the garage, past the apple tree and the back of the house.
It would get buried, in the Spring.
My concern was that the deer would fall over it, but then snow fell, deep and crisp and no-so-even. That was that.
We enjoyed some six weeks of snow and Internet uninterrupted.
Then Spring arrived and snow melted. Grass began to grow. While the deer had no problem with the cable, our mower-man (if he ever shows up) certainly will.
In the meantime I had received the final bill from my ex-ISP and sent it off to the new lot.
Only to be told that because we are an Internet-only customer, they would not be paying off my old contract. OK. Maybe it was in the fine print and it would not have made a difference, so I swept that under the rug.
At the same time I got a date for the expected burial of the orange cable: April 19th. Progress.
The sun came out and warm weather arrived.
And last Saturday, we got disconnected, as previously mentioned. Tuesday, a man came and changed out the router and modem.
For 24 hours, things went swimmingly.
Until they didn’t.
Shit.
Now what? Re-set/re-start…you know….
Abandoning my afternoon bike ride (stationery!), I came to my desk to get on the phone, once again, noting that the lawn man had arrived and Grant was locked in an intense conversation with him.
As it turned out, it wasn’t the lawn man at all.
It was two chaps who had come to bury the cable. Not that anyone had bothered to tell us the date had changed.
Well, they don’t work for the ISP. They are an independent contractor and they took one look at our cable and said:
“That’s wrong. You need a much heavier cable.”
“Also, by the way, we can’t dig a hole unless we know where the gas lines and other electrical lines are buried.”
Did I say “Shit?”
There followed discussions about certain short-cuts and “economies” on the part of the ISP , such as burying the cable directly into the ground without placing it a conduit .
Even I know that can’t be a good idea.
Grant persuaded the contractors to do it “right” and we will pay for the conduit piping.
In the meantime another technician is coming to provide us with the proper cable.
But we’re still worrying about where gas lines etc are located.
Does this sound a bit Mickey-Mouse?
I’ve got a headache
And it may snow tomorrow!
This is the point where some kindly person says “What’s the worst that could happen?” ******BOOM – FLASH******
sounds about par for the course with cable companies! Sorry! In Vermont there is a free municipal service called Dig Safe. If you have that in NY call them. They will come and mark the gas and electric line placement for you. Good luck.