DSL advice needed.

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve had SBC DSL since December 2003. I’ve been pretty happy with it, even though SBC as a whole sucks donkey balls. Anyway, due to, uh, human error (my fault, I’m embarrassed enough about it as it is), my DSL was disconnected for a month. About two weeks ago, it was reconnected, but I haven’t been able to get it to work. Last weekend I spent 45 minutes on the phone with some guy in India who sounded like he was about to commit hara kiri when he admitted he couldn’t figure out how to fix it. Apparently, the problem is with my computer and not the DSL connection - my computer is automatically connecting to a default Windows IP address instead of the correct SBC address. To be honest, I only have a vague idea of what that means, and am not sure how hard it will be to fix; nevertheless I was outraged when another SBC tech guy told me that he could transfer me to another division that could fix it, for a fee of $50-$70. Since I haven’t done a single thing to my internet connection that the idiots at SBC haven’t told me to do, AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY WELL FOR OVER A YEAR, I don’t see why I should pay them $50-$70 to fix the issue. I told the guy I’d try to find another provider.

Unfortunately, I can’t find a provider that seems to fit my needs. I can’t commit to a 12 month contract, because I’m leaving the country in the spring, and any savings with cheaper DSL providers than SBC is negated by the sign up fee and early termination fee.

SO. Here’re the questions:

  1. Do you know of a DSL provider that has a month to month rate that isn’t ridiculously expensive?
    OR
  2. Am I just SOL?

P.S. I don’t have a TV, let alone cable, so cable internet isn’t an option.

I guess I could just keep dialing up. Sigh.

2

If Earthlink is available where you are, I’ve been pleased with them. I pay $50 month-to-month.

You might could also try calling SBC again until you get a tech that knows what they’re talking about. Calling tech support can be just like the lottery.

3

That doesn’t seem quite right. What version of Windows do you have? There is only one single possibility I can think of where your computer connects to a “default Windows IP”, which shouldn’t be that difficult to fix. Sounds like the technician wasn’t very well versed.

4

Win98. The techie guy kept saying I should update to Win2000, but I’m leaving the country in 6 months, and I don’t want to put any more money than necessary into this hunk o’ junk. Besides which, IT USED TO WORK FINE.

I’m frustrated.

This Year’s Model, I looked at Earthlink, but the $99 sign up fee made me wince.

5

Did the tech have you reinstall tcp/ip? That usually does the trick.

6

Nope. Huh.

7

Well, they suck. Guess they lost a customer because of poor technical support. I always thought that was pretty basic for a broadband technician.

8

Out of curiousity, do you recall what the ‘default’ windows IP address was that you were getting?

9

Outside of removing and reinstalling tcp/ip, you could also remove and reinstall the ethernet card drivers. Windows 98 could be touchy about networking depending on the ethernet card drivers. Sometimes just removing them, and reinstalling fixes the problem.

Also, might seem like a major “duh”, but are you getting a light on your ethernet card and modem when you plug the cable in?

10

Kyla, you didn’t mention if you went back to dial-up when your DSL was disconnected for non-payment…
If you did absoulutely nothing while the DSL was disconnected and have done absoulutely nothing since it’s been re-instated…then all you should have to do is re-cycle the power on your DSL modem box.
The DSl modem will not re-recognize the signal until it has been recycled.