Topic: My Shit's Broke (Read 3007 times)

Thad · « **on:** March 31, 2008, 03:43:38 PM »

Woke up this morning to find the network down. After confirming the router wasn't to blame, I checked the cable modem; no Cable light.

Rebooted it a few times, went to class, rebooted it again, called the cable company. A very nice lady, who treated me like someone who knew what the hell he was talking about once I said "the router isn't getting an IP from the modem," told me she couldn't see the modem at all and they'd send out a tech tomorrow.

I talked to Brad a little later and he said the last two times this happened it turned out a heavy truck had managed to churn up the cable buried in the alley and break it. So that would be awesome if that happened a third time.

Currently over at family's place because I have to read 35 pages of a paper to read before class tomorrow; figured I'd take a break and check in here after downloading the paper to my iPod.

Anyway. Pure hilarity.

Thad · « **Reply #1 on:** April 18, 2008, 11:38:19 PM »

My Web server's still down.

I E-Mailed my old boss about it. Managed to refrain from making a snarky remark to the effect of "If I had known letting the company's website stay down for 36 hours was an option, I would never have quit."

This time.

Thad · « **Reply #2 on:** July 08, 2008, 09:50:17 PM »

...So this is happening again.

I found out today that Cox has a new robo-helper who walks you through resetting your cable modem who you have to sit through before you can talk to a person.

As someone who used to run an ISP single-handedly, I think this is a great idea. There is no reason that human beings' time should be wasted explaining the very very obvious to customers.

As someone who does not call support until he has already rebooted the fucking modem half-a-dozen times, however, I find it very annoying that I now have to sit through a machine AND THEN a person telling me how to do something I have already tried repeatedly.

They apparently can't get somebody over until Friday, which is of course awesome. I'm currently typing this on a family member's computer; they're out of town and I dropped by the house to water some plants. (On the plus side, the house has cooled quickly since I put the AC on; it's been off since they're out of town and it was 90ish when I got in. Given the slight breeze it's actually cooler outside.) I emphasized the fact that this has happened before, told her to note that whoever comes out should be prepared to find a broken cable, and if that happens to be the case, should bury it deeper this time.

Also there were a shitload of ants in my kitchen and bathroom today.

The end.

Thad · « **Reply #3 on:** July 09, 2008, 07:13:53 PM »

Update:

We went out into the alley to see if we could find a broken cable.

There is a box in the alley that says "Telecommunications", and a long orange cord sticking out of it. It is entirely above ground. Not only was it not buried deeply, it was not buried at all.

It is broken about 20 yards down. We expect that is probably the problem.

Shinra · « **Reply #4 on:** July 09, 2008, 07:18:40 PM »

most likely scenario

cable guy is going to show up late
take a shit in your toilet
replace the cable you connect your modem to (in your home)
and leave without ever going up the pole

Royal☭ · « **Reply #5 on:** July 09, 2008, 07:19:34 PM »

You could replace "cable guy" with "hooker" and it'd be funnier.

Thad · « **Reply #6 on:** July 09, 2008, 10:36:45 PM »

Retitled thread, because now it gets better.

So okay. A week or two back, I managed to knock out the electricity in my kitchen by running the microwave and the toaster oven at the same time. Flipping the breaker didn't fix it; the breaker was broken.

I called our family's electrician (my grandparents own a few dozen houses in the area, so they've got a contact for every kind of maintenance work); he came out and got the juice going again but said the breakers are decades old and need to be replaced, soon, because with the summer heat coming in they're going to start failing.

He told us he'd go get a few replacements and get back to us. A few days later he called back and said he hadn't been able to find them for cheap and the bill was going to be pretty high.

Now, ordinarily this would be time to shop around, but I know this guy and I trust him; I know he's not scamming me. (In fact Brad priced the breakers himself awhile back and reached similar numbers, which is why he hasn't had them replaced yet.)

So, okay. We were planning on calling him tomorrow and telling him, let's do this thing.

And guess which circuit went out tonight.

Hint: not one that can be Band-Aided with an extension cord.

Hint 2: remember that "summer heat" thing I mentioned?

So yeah. AC's out. Fortunately, that's where the "I am looking after my family's house while they are out of town" part comes in. The AC and Internet over here are working.

So anyway. We're hoping we can get dude out to do the job tomorrow. Failing that, I've invited Brad (who's crashing at his girlfriend's place tonight) over here for beer and Batman: Gotham Knight.

Thad · « **Reply #7 on:** July 10, 2008, 12:24:59 PM »

Today we come to the "silver lining" portion of the story.

I have been working my way through my comic collection, getting 20 years' of stuff sorted across some 30 short boxes.

Monday I was down to my last four boxes (Ninja Turtles, Simpsons, and Futurama). I managed to get through two, but found in the process that some of the books didn't have bags and boards. I had plenty of boards but ran out of (current-size) bags.

Now, today, I just happened to randomly stumble across a nearly-full bag of modern-size comic bags in my old bedroom.

So that's one less thing I have to buy at the comic shop today. And I would never have known about it if the bad AC hadn't sent me retreating to the house I grew up in.

(Though I wish I'd known about it sooner; I could have been done on Monday.)

EDIT: Just talked to Brad; he said he just got home and the AC's working again. Which suggests it probably wasn't an electrical problem after all, it probably just froze. (Which was our first guess, but we didn't SEE any ice, and hosing it down had no effect.)

Büge · « **Reply #8 on:** July 10, 2008, 06:34:38 PM »

So... you were blasting an electrical appliance with water.

Cthulhu-chan · « **Reply #9 on:** July 10, 2008, 06:39:19 PM »

How else you gonna de-ice the condenser? I'm assuming that the AC unit in question is an outdoor model, and was also unplugged.

Mongrel · « **Reply #10 on:** July 10, 2008, 08:02:51 PM »

By uh... letting the MASSIVE AMOUNT OF AMBIENT HEAT defrost the thing? Most AC condenser drains drain outside by design.

At least, that's what I do if my AC unit freezes.

Norondor · « **Reply #11 on:** July 10, 2008, 08:03:12 PM »

This is Arizona. For reasons unknown to anyone in this world, every residence in Arizona has a damn swamp cooler. Maybe it's so that when it rains heavily in the summer, your air conditioning unit will do exactly nothing?

Cthulhu-chan · « **Reply #12 on:** July 10, 2008, 08:44:23 PM »

I've actually never lived in a place with a swamp cooler. I've known plenty of people who did, though and they do suck mightily.

The times where humidity is high enough to render a swamp cooler useless are pretty rare in Phoenix, so they aren't completely crap, they just aren't as effective.

JDigital · « **Reply #13 on:** July 11, 2008, 06:16:50 AM »

Tech support needs a secret hook-up to high level. The voice password is "Put me through to someone who knows Shannon's theorem".

Thad · « **Reply #14 on:** July 12, 2008, 04:10:56 PM »

I...seem to have lost a post here, where I reminded everyone that people in the Phoenix area know how to operate air conditioners.

Anyway.

Quote from: Thad on July 09, 2008, 07:13:53 PM

Update:

We went out into the alley to see if we could find a broken cable.

There is a box in the alley that says "Telecommunications", and a long orange cord sticking out of it. It is entirely above ground. Not only was it not buried deeply, it was not buried at all.

It is broken about 20 yards down. We expect that is probably the problem.

Given that the cord is no longer there, I am going to have to call that one "confirmed".

Thad · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2008, 11:45:09 PM »

Posting from grandparents' house again, because I am one of 40000 lucky, lucky people who has had his power knocked out by tonight's thunderstorm.

Still, it could be worse: I could live more than half a mile from another house I have a bedroom in. Or I could be one of the poor bastards directing traffic at a major intersection where the signals are out.

Saturn · « **Reply #16 on:** August 08, 2008, 12:41:45 AM »

Wait, ACs can freeze?

TA · « **Reply #17 on:** August 08, 2008, 12:44:01 AM »

Yeah. If they get too much moisture in them, the coils can ice over and the whole thing can get fucked. After a rainstorm, my old wall-mounted AC unit used to start spitting ice.

Disposable Ninja · « **Reply #18 on:** August 22, 2008, 08:44:40 AM »

My computer broke, in case anyone noticed or even cared that I was gone. Anyway, don't reply to this thread because I won't be able to read it for, like, another couple of weeks.

I think I miss internet porn most of all.

MadMAxJr · « **Reply #19 on:** August 22, 2008, 09:36:30 AM »

I am violating the do not reply!

Good luck on the repairs DN, holler if you need recommendations or installation tips. (Romosome can vouch for me on that!)

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