The home network’s access to the outside world croaked this week.
Monday saw intermittent failures … resulting in hours of fruitless debugging on my part … followed eventually by total DSL or router collapse on Thursday (it’s not the switches — the computers see each other just fine). After plugging a laptop right into the modem failed to get a signal, even though all the right lights on the modem were green, Bellsouth decided that the problem was my aged Alcatel 1000 modem, and offered to send me a replacement Westell if I’d just agree to keep paying them for another year. Yeah, like any addict makes plans to cut off his supply…
The “new” modem came late Friday. It’s a tiny slip of a thing compared the Alcatel behemoth. Only it wasn’t a new modem, it’s refurbished. And there’s still no signal — only this time the DSL light blinks instead of giving the steady green one requires. Another call to BellSouth revealed that they failed to ship me a line filter which it seems that a Westell requires to operate (but the Alcatel 1000 does not). So, more promises to send what’s needed — although not until late Tuesday.
As a result, posting may be light for the next couple of days as the kids are home and I’m not going into the office much.
So, if you are trying to reach me by email, please be patient. Or just pick up the phone?
