[elky] Re: update

  • From: STILLFRANKSFAULT@xxxxxxx
  • To: elky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 3 Jan 2013 14:15:40 -0500 (EST)

WOW, sorry about your journey, but it made me laugh. Web sights at the  
curb.
 
Smokey Mt Frank  

 
In a message dated 1/3/2013 10:49:34 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx writes:



Well.  "Curiouser and  curiouser, said Alice."

I got in touch with Patti Page in the Pilipeens  who had a reasonable 
command of the English language.  What she didn't  have was the ability to 
listen 
to what was being said to her.  Frikkin  3-ring circus with only 2 people 
involved.  "Don't try this at home,  kids.  I'm a trained professional."  
When I finally told Mz Patti  that I'd been working with computers since 1966, 
and had written data  communication protocols, her attitude changed a bit.  

So our dear  lady from Subic Bay or wherever the hell she was finally 
listened to my  "issue."  She asked me to run CenturyLink's own speed test.  It 
said  I was running at about 18mbit.  Quite a difference from what DslReports 
 tests show (consistently showing 8mbit.  So does testmyisp.com and a  
couple others.)  She said that it's the only speed test they  accept....all 
others are (to CL) invalid.  I thanked Patti for nothing  and told her I'd do 
like I'd done with virtually every other issue I'd had  with 'em:  Fix it my 
own damned self.  

I tried to explain to Mz Patti  that I've been measuring line speed with 
DSLR's tests for years and years and  they'd always been pretty accurate.  I 
also told her that if I was a  person who considered things like conspiracy 
theories, the first question I'd  ask would be, "why would I not believe the 
results from a test that I've been  using for a long time and take a big ol' 
slug of that grape Flavorade that Jim  Jones fed to his flock by taking the 
word of a test supplied by an entity that  provides the service that I find 
to be too slow?"  I had to repeat that  concept several times over before 
her little Pilipina mind could grasp the  concept.  Then she went on to 
repeat the same mantra, "the results of the  CL speed test are the only results 
we accept.  Therefore you don't have a  problem.  Is there anything else I 
can do for you?"     

Argggghhh.  I also explained that I requested the purchase of the  Fiber 
Optic (VDSL) modem, yet I was being billed a monthly lease fee.   She told me 
to contact the business office.  I just did that and the  billing for the 
monthly lease has been removed...between the time I called Mz  Patti and made 
the call to the business office.  

Then I  began the "paper chase"...or in this case, the "Google chase."  I 
found  numerous other testing sites, all of which showed a line speed of 
about  8mbit.  I turned off my virus protection (Avira) which made no 
difference 
 at all.  Then I stumbled across a little thing called DSLAM: 
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_subscriber_line_access_multiplexer_ 
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_subscriber_line_access_multiplexer)    On 
that page 
is an image that shows the virtual network  topology:




Further investigation  revealed that CL's test only shows the speed between 
the xDSL router (VDSL in  my case) and the DSLAM.  It doesn't take into 
account their own switching  BRAS (underwire, I wondered?  Padded seemed like 
it fit the description a  bit better) or their own Internet Router.  
Basically it tests the speed  between my house and the distribution box near 
the 
curb.  That's REAL  helpful, since I only interact with websites at my curb.  
(insert sarcasm  icon here)  

Then I went to DSLReports Forum and searched for  CenturyLink speed test.  
The first hit was a thread entitled, "Is  CenturyLink's speed test rigged?"  
They validated what I'd found in my  Google chase and posts to that thread 
said what I'd already figgered:   The game's fixed and as was so elequently 
stated in War Games, "The only way  to win is not to play the game."

Yanno, I think I'm just gonna close my  eyes and pretend I'm not here and 
maybe all the problems will magically go  away...at least until I open my 
eyes again.

But I have an appraiser  coming at 10 am for the revere mortgage deal...and 
it's 8F outside and  furthermore, if elected, I promise....whoops, wrong 
script.  Yeah, I get  goofy when I get tired.  Just ask Jim.

Oh.  I signed up to  get a "white box" from 
_http://www.samknows.com/broadband/_ (http://www.samknows.com/broadband/)    
That's another story in 
itself, but basically what it does is analyze my line  speed, packet loss, 
retries 
and so on.  That data (they swear it's  anonymous) is used to keep tabs on 
providers to see if they're telling the  truth or not.  We'll just have to 
see how that one goes.

I'm outta  here.

r


On 1/3/2013 5:24 AM, _STILLFRANKSFAULT@aol.com_ 
(mailto:STILLFRANKSFAULT@xxxxxxx)   wrote:


I've heard people talk about the bill going up, and I wonder if the  
company figures people will just pay it without question. Sorta playing with  
the 
law of odds and averages.  Win some lose some.
Well, good luck with your problem. ++++~~~~
 
Smokey Mt Frank  

 
In a message dated 1/3/2013 7:09:28 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, 
_rbuck@xmission.com_ (mailto:rbuck@xxxxxxxxxxxx)  writes:

Right  on, bro!  Give 'em hell!

Btw, my "up to 20 mbit" fiber line  runs consistently at 8mb.  I'm gonna 
call today (after the appraiser  for the reverse mortgage gets thru) and tell 
'em that if that's the best  they can do, then switch me to the 7mb and drop 
my monthly billing a  ton.  I'll keep ya posted.

r

On 1/3/2013 4:53 AM, _STILLFRANKSFAULT@aol.com_ 
(mailto:STILLFRANKSFAULT@xxxxxxx)  wrote:


Hi guys, I have an update on my cable company's high speed  service.
Today I received the monthly bill for the new up graded service,  from 15 a
t 40.oo to 30 at 39.oo. Sorta a no brainer. Well, the bill says  59.99 
........... why am I not surprised. So... I call them, explain,  and she says 
that this is the way it is, and there were no specials at  that time......... 
yata yata yata..... This is where the New Yorker in  me Kicked in. I said 
really? Told her I want my old service back at  40.oo She said no can do 
because it was a deal and now was dropped. Ya  see where this is going, so I 
start 
yelling and ranting, and I want  to speak to someone that has the authority 
to fix it. I'm on  hold for a long time. Probably waiting for me to hang 
up. 
         She comes back,  says the manager is busy, but told her to give me 
it at 39.oo, well look  at that, yet another example of the squeakiest gear 
gets the most  oil.
     I know it was only 20.oo but if ya give  them an inch....... 
 
Smokey Mt  Frank









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