Thursday, August 14, 2014

Verizon - WiFi and TV Problems - One After The Other For Months

I've been having problems with my WiFi signal going on and off and also numerous problems with my TV now for probably at least 6 to 8 months now. Cannot recall just how many times the service repairmen have been here but at least 6-7 times I guess. Each time someone comes, they find a different problem and sometimes also the same problem a previous repairman found. Take today's visit by a repairman for example. He changed the outside box, put on a new splitter, replaced some cable tat was badly banged up because the guy who first installed it did it so that it ran along the frame on my garage door. Yes, it was attached to the garage door frame in a way that assured that every time the door was closed it banged into the cable thus squashing it that was the new thing found today. Then there was a slitter that needed replacing - that was a thing supposedly already done. In addition there was the outside box where he cable comes into my house via the box on the outside garage wall. He changed that and the last guy did the same thing.

I am hoping that after today's visit the problems, especially the one with my WiFi connection will have ceased. In truth though, unless I now use my laptop outside some evening (as I sometimes do while sitting on the patio) I will not know. That's because I will no longer need to use WiFi in the snake-pit man-cave (our basement) since the repairmen today hooked up a cable, running from the Verizon set top box in my basement (by way of a splitter he added) to the laptop. At the laptop end, they (there were two of them here by then) added a small black box that accepts the cable and has a jack for an Ethernet cable on the other side. The ethernet cable hooks it to the laptop. Not one other repairman had suggested that and I have to hand it to the first guy who arrived today and did the Lion's share of the work on my connections. If it works right, and I no longer lose the Internet connection, I will be happy. If the WiFi now also works right, for when I am outside, I will be absolutely thrilled. If the connection still does not work right, I may go back o the cable company.

I will admit, nice enough technicians always show up to do the Verizon repairs but no one has fixed the problem yet with the possible exception of the guys who showed today. Time will tell if the got it right and as I said it would be due to he first guy's work because he did all the repairing, the second guy only helped with adding the splitter and new cable from set-top box to laptop in my basement. I have spent more money giving these guy a tip than it has been worth it to date. No more tips after today if it was not repaired properly this time around. I would rather spend the tip money on beer. I will only add that the guy today seemed to really know what he was talking about so I am optimistic.

All the best,
Glenn B

1 comment:

Humble wife said...

To have someone come over and over would be the end for me. We had satellite internet when we first moved to our place as nothing else was available. A few years ago the dogs were going crazy so I went to the gate and a man was taping to our gate info on his startup internet company out of El Paso. With dogs by my side on my side of fence I chatted with him and gave him Bill's info as Bill had told me his work was looking for new provider. The guy called Bill~set him up at his work-and us too. Best internet we have ever had and it is low cost in my eyes at 59.00 a month for great speeds etc.

Funny thing is that the canyon I live in has a good number of people and Comcast constantly posts notices that they are soon coming to our neighborhood...since 2007! (too late for them as I am all for the little guy!)

Glad to hear about your update and hope it works out well. Also glad you did not have flooding as your batcave(mancave) would be damaged!

Jen