Had some "fun" with my internet connection at home this morning. I got email from my ISP (local cable co.) a couple of weeks ago saying my cable modem would be getting a firmware update sometime in the next couple of months but not to worry about it as it would just involve my connection going down for a few minutes and I probably wouldn't even notice it since they planned to push the updates late at night. Got up this morning and no internet. I checked the cable modem and the status lights were going nuts. Reboot. No luck. I call the cable company and tech says they can't see the modem online. I ask if the problem might have something to do with the firmware update. Huh. She comments that several people had been calling about failures that they couldn't fix. Ding. Ding. Ding. The solution? She'll open a ticket and hopefully a new update will be pushed out but she has no idea when that will happen. In the meantime, I can get a loaner from them (I own my modem).
Me: "Is there any way I can download the update at work and push it from my end when I get back home? Can I take the modem in to one of your service centers and get the update installed?"
Tech: "Nope, we have to push it over the line."
Me: "How will the update get pushed if I've got a loaner online? Will you be able to tell me when the update will be pushed?"
Tech: "Huh. Nope. That would be a bit of a problem, I guess."
Sigh. I hung up and went to Fry's to get a new (different brand) of modem. I'm fairly sure whatever modem is sitting on the shelf will also require the new flash update and will go bonkers as soon as it comes down the line if I get the same brand.
I call back when I have the new modem in place (it cost me about $60) and the wait is now 45 minutes. It would seem a whole bunch of people have noticed the problem since I first called in because there was only about a 2-minute wait earlier in the day. I leave my number for a call-back and it comes in about the promised 45 minutes. I tell them I have a new modem I need to activate. It takes about 10 minutes but I now have internet service at home again.
Sigh. I feel for the non-techies who are suffering with the same issues today.