I'm back

So I'm not dead. Just had some major internet issues. I was off line for almost three weeks and it was awful! Well intermittently off-line, then on-line, then off-line. Then slow. Then fast. Then not working at all.

OK so it might not be the end of the world but it's amazing how you miss the web access when you don't have it. I mean I couldn't even check the TV schedules. I was reliant on the old iPhone which was fine except I can't get 3G in the house so it was a bit slow.

The process of getting it fixed was a nightmare. First I had dozens of calls to the help desk at Amcom who were great but insisted that there was nothing wrong. Then they suggested that my modem might be on the blink and could I drop it in for "testing" and repair. What is this the 30s? Are they going to change a valve or something? Anyway I took it in and they said it was all ok. So I got it home and it didn't work. So I took it back and they gave me a new modem, got it home and it didn't work.

At this point I was getting really annoyed. I also noticed that the phone line was really crackling. Ahhaa! Maybe it's Telstra's fault. So I called them and indeed I did have a fault on my line. An open circuit apparently. Whatever that is. So they arranged for the Telstra man to come to the house and check it out.

He came and it was all working, then he left and it wasn't.

So now I'm really annoyed, so I call Telstra again and they tell me that the engineer has checked from the exchange to my MDB (apparently if you are in a block of units there is only one line in and Telstra's responsibility only goes to this, after that they charge you, how kind) and everything is OK. Even though it isn't. So I arrange for a new visit from the Telstra man. I have to be in from 1 to 5 pm. Beck waited in and he arrived at 12.45. It turns out there was a dodgy solder in the MBD which was causing the issues. So much for the first idiot who turned up.

So at last I got the thing working. I can't believe it took three weeks just to fix an internet connection and all it was was a bad solder. Talk about for the want of a nail the shoe was lost.

Maybe the new fibre-optic national broadband network will be more reliable. Even if it is going to be filtered almost to a standstill.

Anyway I'm back now, and I've got a few things to rant about in the next week or so.