Friday, January 29, 2010

Just like the Summer of '96


No, I'm not dyslexic..... it's just that my current internet experience feels very much like the Summer of 1996, back when the internet was all just white pages with black text.

 I can read your blog in my google reader, but I can't see the photos. I can try to visit your blog and leave a comment but everything crashes.....

Check the signal strength top left and the transmit rate bottom centre

I'm sorry to say that Wireless Broadband in suburbia is completely crapola! I've perservered for ten months, but I'm at the stage where I could really start pulling my hair out (beginning with the greys that are creeping through my current dye job).

So I decided that I'd change to Naked ADSL (the one where you connect the phone line, connect to the naked service, and then disconnect the phone line). To find out whether you're eligible for this service, you have to first have the phone connected (which costs money), be given a phone number, and then check it online.

So now I have a phone number, and I've checked it online, and my exchange doesn't support the service...aaaahhhhhh!

So the only choice that I have left is to technologically regress back to a normal broadband connection, while paying a monthly line rental fee for a home phone that I don't want and don't need.

Is it really 2010?

25 comments:

Snooze said...

That really sucks. I've used my mum's and I'm so glad I don't have to because ... and you will scream ... I've had naked DSL for more than 12 months. It really is the best so my fingers are crossed you get it soon.

yardage girl said...

Bummer about the crapola ... Nic

dillpickle said...

How incredibly annoying. I really don't like telco/internet companies. They really are hopeless!

Christina Lowry said...

We have had the same problems! We have had so many providers. They all want our money but cannot give us working internet. Apparently we are in a black spot. We have the internet now, after much nonsense, however the company we are with is hopeless. They overcharge us, we email them, they say they will change the bill then we get an overdue letter!! It is driving me nuts and I totally feel your pain! :)

sewfunky said...

That does suck bigtime, she says, whilst still stuck on a broadband through phone jack deal... ;)

Cath @ chunkychooky said...

You know whats worse- living in the country and having absolutely no options other then telstra wireless - we can't get braodband even though our neighb ours have it- which they charge you a small fortune for!!!!!
good luck with your mission- but remember your country cousins have it far worse.

Raewyn said...

And I thought it was just me and my computer. We have the exact same internet connection as you and it's giving us mega trouble. It is beyond frustrating!! I'm going to look into the naked DSL when we move into our new home for sure! Or definitely change our internet company.
F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G!!

xanadu.fan said...

This may be an annoying question, but is cable (like foxtel) avaiable in your street? I don't have an active traditional phoneline but I have cable connected (boo with Optus, wouldn't recomend them but they're in our street) and then a voip phone (with a traditional phone number) through Engin. We don't pay line rental for the phone but the cable is slower than adsl 2

posie blogs Jennie McClelland said...

OH dear, we first got internet when we married in 1997, wow wee, that was slow, fun, telephone lines, medieval!! I couldn't go back, noooooo . . . not now, not after tasting WiFi & super speed.
Just stop by my blog & say how wonderful the images are, i can assure you, fabulous. Good luck, or move house?? Love Posie

Swirlyarts said...

Oh dear :( Hope you get something sorted soon.

Rachael said...

That's shite... x

Beck said...

Ahhhhhh!!!!!! You poor thing, open the window and yell out your frustration..go on! xo

Copper Patch said...

Bugger. Poor you Cam. I hope it sorts out, I'd be sad if you couldn't play with us properly!
Ab

Libster said...

i sometimes reaallllly hate the internet, we pay good money for one of the top connections (i leave it all to the hubby) and we are constantly disconnected and i find it too slow :(
good luck with finding decent connection to the net :)

moose and bird said...

oooh, the frustration. We had similar problems not that long ago. We even signed up and paid for a connection which we then found out wasn't available in our area (they told us it was available!!!). I hope your weekend makes up for all of the stress. Melinda xo

Anonymous said...

WHAT???? Shazam Cam!!!!!! That's a riot. Is it not the most ridiculous set up you ever did hear of? Our O.S. readers would think we lived in the third world. It's really not funny, although I'm quite happy to pay a premium after putting up with substandard service for so long. You obviously don't have cable in your area?

ambette said...

My parents live in country NSW and can still only get dialup (or incredibly slow and expensive satellite). I hear ya.

It's so weird when I go home and still hear that noise that the modem makes when it connects to the net. What a disgrace that we're so behind with technology in Australia.

Stacy Kraus McDonald said...

Oy vey... that's not good! :-( I'm sorry!

The Creative Beast said...

you poor thing! bad internet is the WORST! and the only things worse than that is PAYING for crap service >=-[

i feel your pain!

teddybearswednesday said...

OH NO cam, you poor thing!

Anonymous said...

totally agree on the wireless front. we've never had success and now have internet hard wired to several places in the house (for tv and pc use). I'll check with dh whether we're naked adsl2 and get back to you if he can offer any advice

in the meantime, I'm sure someone will trade you a few hours of net time for a sunnies case or maybe some babysitting!!

Lx

Jacinta said...

Oh I am totally in the same boat - want naked ADSL so I can dump the phone line. Alas, it still isn't available and I am stuck paying for a landline I use only for the internet and pay for the internet too!
Aye aye aye!

Doily said...

This may sound crazy but are you using windows vista? I have lots of probs with my wireless connection (middle o nowhere where i am its the only option!) and after i re-installed windows and turned off auto updates its much better.....
..or you could upgrade but I resent paying monry to fix something sold to me flawed!!!! Hmmm.... sucks eh?

Unknown said...

Hi, I was using the same crappy service out where I am in the country AND paying the queens ransom for it.
I enquired through a company called Aussie Broadband
I now have a wireless antenna on my roof paid for by MrRudd, wireless internet and I am paying half the price of Telstra. Its a great speed to (except for when I go over my download!!)
I was told that I could never have an alternative to Telstra out here.
It might be worth you ringing them?
Kerry

flossy-p said...

OMG, the last 2 weeks our internet connection has gone to hell too!!! It's worse than dial up, infact I'm surprised I made it here at all, and will kiss my computer if this comment posts before my connection drops out...again!