More help for a computer idiot?

[Shannon]

http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif

A few weeks ago there was a lightning strike very close to my house. I don't know what it hit, but it was incredibly loud, and I heard the thunder at the same time as I saw the flash. Anyway, shortly after the flash, I noticed my phone line was dead. The phone company came out the next day and determined that there was a short, which they said may or may not have been caused by the lightning. They fixed that, but didn't know what to do about my internet connection. I ended up taking my computer in to a computer repair place and they put a new modem in for me. I've had the new modem for about a week now, and I've noticed that browsing is really slow. Also, it randomly disconnects me. I've called my server, earthlink, a couple of times and each time they tell me something different (change computer settings, change the dial-up number), but nothing has fixed it. I called again today and they said that it's a modem problem. I told him that I just had a brand new modem installed about a week ago, and the guy said it doesn't matter if it's new, it's a bad modem. He said to take it back and have them put a new one in. I called the place that installed the new modem, and they said there is no way it's the modem. I'm so confused. Can someone help me? I don't know if I should take it to a different computer repair shop, or what?

Shannon
33 year old T4/5 complete
25 years post

[Brad_D]

Lightning is very problematic for sensitive electronics like computers. It may have damaged your phone lines in or near your home and the electrical surge could have traveled up your phone line and damaged your modem and even something else in the computer. If at all possible, can you borrow someone else's computer to see if it has the same problem? If so, then it probably is you phone line. Whether it's the phone company or the repair company, they tend to point their finger at each other because they don't want to go through the trouble of fixing it themselves unfortunatly.

[Brad_D]

You should ask your phone company to do a line test. This may help to see if there is excessive noise on your phone line which can slow down your connection.

[jimnms]

I worked for several ISP's in the past, and when it comes to phone lines and modems, there's so much that can go wrong, I'm suprised it works at all. Phone companies are a pain to deal with, and it takes forever to get them to fix anything.

After you had the modem replaced, did you install a new phone line from the wall to the modem?

Most of the time it is phone line problems, and I hate to tell you this but it's hard to get the phone co. to do anything about it. They don't give a crap unless they are your ISP too.

The apartment I lived in before my SCI, I could get a 53k connection every time I dialed in. Then after a storm, I couldn't connect at all, and there was audible noise in the line.

I called the phone co. and they fixed it, but I couldn't get connected any faster than 38k after that, and it was an unstable connection and would drop frequently. A few weeks later, the noise came back, and I was unable to connect again, and had to call them back. I went through the process three times before they finally fixed it permanantly, but I never got another 53k connection after that storm.

The ISPs I worked for, when we had a customer who was having connection problems, we could look at the modem logs to see why the customer was disconnected. The equipment we used loged all kinds of diagnostic information, that at least gave the customer something to show the phone co. that it is the phone line that is the problem.

With larger ISPs like Earthlink, the peon you talk to on the phone doesn't have access to the log files though.

3Com/USR used to have an 800# you could call that would test your line, but it appears that it's no longer available (http://www.usr.com/products/line-test.asp).

The only thing I can suggest is keep pestering both your ISP and the phone co. until they get tired of you and fix it. I knew a guy who switched to his phone companies internet service, then when he called their tech support with connection problems, the phone co. was quick to fix it. Then he switched back to his old ISP.

_____
Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

[Steven Edwards]

Then again, they could've just given you a slower modem [28.8k].

-Steven

[PN]

I think that Brad's suggestion about connecting another PC to the phone line in your home will confirm if the problem is with the PC or the phone connection. You can also tell the phone company that you are getting a lot of static on your phone connection and ask them if they can clean up the line. By the way, if you live in an area where thunder storms are frequent, you may want to consider purchasing a UPS. I live in California and I use a UPS.

PN

[Shannon]

Thanks. I will start by calling the phone company tomorrow and asking them to do a line test. That's easy enough.

If that doesn't solve the problem, I really don't want to deal with it anymore. I'm so tired of calling Earthlink and being on hold forever. I called them on Saturday when my daughter put The Lion King movie in, and I got off the phone as the movie was ending. And they didn't even help!

I should be able to take it to a computer repair shop and have it fixed, right? Seems like there should be places that will come right to your house, but where can I find such a place? I looked in the yellow pages, but no one advertised house calls. Any ideas?

Shannon
33 year old T4/5 complete
25 years post

[Shannon]

Maybe I will try to get someone to bring their computer over. I'm just trying to think of who would do that...

We hardly ever get thunderstorms in Portland. It was really weird. I'd say we get them twice a year. And even though I grew up in the midwest, I had never experienced a strike so close.

Shannon
33 year old T4/5 complete
25 years post

[PN]

Beaker:

I know that this is not an easy task to find someone to come into your home and hook up their computer to your phone connection. I don't have any other ideas at the moment, but perhaps one of our members will have another helpful suggestion/solution. Good luck!

PN

[scott7065]

you could hook your computer up at some other location, just to see if the problem is with your computer or your phone line.


-Scott

[jimnms]

If you take your computer back to the store that installed the modem. Make them hook it up to a phone line and dial it in, if it works there then it is your phone line.

And some computer places will come to you, but they will charge a much higher rate.

_____
Learn from the mistakes of others, you won't live long enough to make all of them yourself.

[Shannon]

I got online yesterday and it was working just fine. I was online for about 2 hours, catching up on emails, ordering groceries, etc, and it was fast and it never disconnected me. Today I get online and it's back to taking for-stinkin-ever, and it keeps disconnecting me. Just to get to the carecure site took a good 5 minutes, and then to load up this page took another good 5 minutes. Since I've been writing this, I've been disconnected once so far.

I called the phone company and asked them to check for excessive noise on the phone line. They did, and said it was fine.

I can't think of anyone who I would feel comfortable asking to bring their computer over. And I can't take mine over to any friend's houses because none of their homes are wheelchair accessible. Yeah, their husbands can get me in, but I hate being a pain. I am going to my parent's house this weekend, but if I'm going to hook up my computer to their phone line, don't they have to have the same server that I have? Or if I hook up my computer to their phone line, would I have to load up their server on my computer? Sorry for being such an idiot and asking such dumb questions.

Thanks for the help!`

Shannon
33 year old T4/5 complete
25 years post

[alan]

From my bbs using and sysoping days, I have a couple friends who come over and take care of the computer for me (hardware upgrades, fixing problems, etc.)

Alan

[scott7065]

when using a dialup account you can call the same phone # and connect to the same server from any house. if your parents don't live too far (same area code) you shouldn't have to change a thing. if this would be a long distance call, see if your isp has a number local to their area. here is earthlinks access numbers (http://support.earthlink.net/support/ACCESS/). the only setting you would change is the access #, everything else stays the same.

if your connection worked well yesterday but not today, you have an intermittant problem. could be a loose wire or something,


-Scott

[Shannon]

Thanks Scott. My parents live about 1 1/2 hours away, so it is a different area code. I don't think it would be a problem to find a local Earthlink access number there though.

Today it is working fine again.

Shannon
33 year old T4/5 complete
25 years post