So, as You guys seem like the closest thing to experts on the internet, I'm hoping you can help me.
After years of decent service at reliable speeds from Century Link, one day the internet cut out during a storm. That's fine, it happens. Only this time, when it came back, it went from around 10mbps to 0.9 mbps, moving over the last month between an average of about 2mpbs when I'm lucky, and 0.2 mbps... when I actually need it. Strangely, there have been about thirty hours in total throughout the month where it runs at full speed. This happens totally at random, and can be during peak hours, or valley hours (why not).
For the last month I have been on and off the phone with the circus that qualifies as "tech support". The first six times I called they would tell me "I'm testing perfectly on their end" and we did the whole song and dance about routers and modems and viruses and malware, etc. It's none of that. I've tried direct connections, and wireless. I've tried new modems. I've tried friend's laptops to make sure it's not my devices. No matter what, the speed does not change.
In come the "real techs": So after going through hell with phone support and doing every possible troubleshooting scenario they could think of, and many more I could think of, I got a dispatch. He said he "found some old lines" at the box and replaced them. Then he said I was testing at 100% (uhuh). His "fix" did nothing, and the speed is unchanged. Another tech came out and tested the lines. He said they were working perfectly. After this, I actually went out to the box with an extension cord and plugged into the outside lines myself, to make sure it couldn't be internal. What a surprise: the speed did not change.
So after going to hell and back, I had confirmed what I pretty much suspected from the start: It's nothing on my end. But how do I fix something on their end? After searching around the net I found someone with the same issue as me, you can read about it here: http://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/centurylink-dsl-pennsylvania-c454264.html
It turns out the issue was finally solved when Century Link switched him to new equipment in their DSLAM. But half the techs I've talked to seem to have no idea what a DSLAM is, and think they'll find it in my mailbox. The other half smile and nod when I tell them they need to check the DSLAM, then they run "more checks" on my "perfectly functioning" lines.
God help me. I'm pretty tech savvy but DSLAMS are new to me and seem pretty specialized. Is there a way to address this? Maybe switch the DSLAM I connect to? Or does anyone have ideas of something that could be going wrong outside the DSLAM given that I have literally run every test possible? I am at my wits end. I have tested and retested and am beginning to feel as though I'm starring in a personal Groundhog Day.
I look to you to save me. Or to just tell me to cancel this service. Thanks!
↧
