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Saturday, October 19, 2002

post://85580404/

I wonder if anything happened this week. I'm thinking back as I realize there's been nothing added since the 14th. No... really nothing of much consequence. We went out for another night on the town on Thursday, dinner and some pool, then video games and movies at home. I had a good time but there's always something that happens that creates complications, such as: not remembering that you have a Hoku CD, and then betting a shot of 100 proof SoCo that you don't. If I was teetering before, that sent me to the bottom of the well. I'm sure I haven't heard the last of it...

I waited around all day Friday for my satellite install, to be notified by phone that I was all set for Saturday. I specifically remember speaking to the rep who called me last Thursday, scheduling for this Friday... but I gotta hand it to her for calling me back when I was in a bad cell service area -- she wanted to make sure to confirm the appointment time. A lot of good that did me, because I still hung around all day Friday not doing much. My favorite quote from a customer:: "...but I haven't even taken a shower today!". I can now see how that would happen.

The satellite internet installer guy did come today... one complication:: the system it's connected to needs to have a dial up modem. "Well, I don't have that, but I am connected via network to the dial up machine in the other room, it's shared via ICS -- that work?" Inquisitive looks all around (later called tech support and got the phone equivalent) - "No, it needs a dial up modem." I hooked up my housemate's machine in the interim, figuring we'd just get it set up and worry about the computer later. It's a bit harder then that. The modem is hooked up via USB, so any sharing has to be done via Ethernet card. No problem, network's already set up. The USB means that it needs software, software that is very picky, needs to communicate with the "registration servers" before it's able to "give internet". Everything was 100% on my housemate's computer -- which means it was time to break it. I had to put it on my computer so I installed the software, plugged in the modem and ran the tests that he did on install. The receive test was fine - signal OK. The send test was where I ran into problems. After a few installs/uninstalls I resorted to tech support again. The first time didn't count other then the 50 minutes I was waiting for the inept tech rep that I reached. He contacted their NOC, ran the test from their end and it went through fine. When I was attempting it from this end it was coming up bunk. He did a manual "OK" on the transmit test, and that was that -- I'm online, and it's faster then I ever thought it'd be. The upload is supposedly piddley, and it adds about 100ms extra to a ping, but overall I'm impressed.

http://www.direcway.com

Labels: 2002