I adjusted my router's security settings recently. I entered a password into my router that was too long (there was no warning about password length). This resulted in the router first "accepting" the changed password, but then not allowing me to access the router again -- giving an error that the new password was "too long." (it's a PK5000, if anyone cares).
I called CL to try to get the ducks in order (including the ppp password, which I had somehow neglected to write down), so I could reset the router without running into snags. After going through the 12-step identification process, I told the tech I needed the password to reset the router, and he told me NOT to reset the router. He said that resetting the router would would cause me to PERMANENTLY lose access to the internet.
He wanted me to read him numbers off two stickers on the router. I had to tell him three times that there was ONE sticker on the side. He simply could not be convinced. He kept repeating himself, asking me to read the second sticker. I said there was no second sticker. This went back and forth. Finally he put me on hold, and after a long consultation with someone else, agreed that there was no second sticker.
During the call, he told me four times NOT to reset the router. I told him I HAD to reset the router so I could put in a short enough password for the modem to understand.
Then he wanted to know why I wanted to change settings on my router. I mean, how do you answer this question without getting mad? Anyway, I did not get mad, but I said I occasionally had to change things in MY router.
He then told that if I needed to change any settings on the router in the future, I should call technical support (!!!!!!) and they would "do it" for me! (!!!!!!) (This was about 45 minutes into the conversation). I said that I did not want to go through such a process to change one little thing on MY router.
Soon after that, he told me my router was "too old" (it's 4 years old, and it was working an hour ago); and that he could send me a new router for $100.
He was quite pleasant, and at the very first of the conversation I actually thought he knew what he was talking about. But when he said my router was "too old" I changed my mind about his technical knowledge, and started wondering if that's how they usually "fix" things when someone even dumber than me calls up.
I told him good-bye and "took a chance" and proceeded to hardware reset my router. I was up and running in 5 minutes. The system gave me the ppp password during the setup process (not sure if this is a constant, or if it changes when you reset the router and set up the connection again).
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