Still having issues...

I was told while we were on holiday that the internet had been restored and although the connection wasn't brilliant, it was stable and everyone was happy. Excellent news.

My husband and I arrived back home on Sunday, and on Monday, about mid-morning, we decided to check our emails. The internet seemed fine. After about 30 minutes, my husband popped his head into the room to say he wasn't able to get his emails. I had got mine so it had to be something to do with his wireless connection. I had a quick look at his computer and reentered the password and his computer downloaded his emails. Job done, I thought.

I was wrong. Several more hiccoughs throughout the day made me think there was either a problem with our computers or the broadband connection. I tried the mobile devices and they wouldn't connect either so it had to be the broadband connection. The kids arrived home after work and were not impressed that the internet was broken again!

I called the provider but did not get the option to speak to a person. I had to deal with them via text messaging.  Mobile phones are not my thing and I would have been happier to speak to a person but I managed to text back and forth. The upshot is that I have removed the front plate on the newly installed master socket and have the phone & the router plugged into the test socket. I can see wires which should be hidden by the plate, but at least the internet is working and stable.

I have a number of jobs to do which rely on using the internet so hopefully the current set up will keep the connection stable. When did we all become so dependant on the internet?

This morning to add insult to injury I needed to print a letter using my wireless printer and it refused. After several failed attempts to right it, I uninstalled and reinstalled the software and got it working again.  I am irritated because that is time lost where I could have been doing something else.

What else can go wrong? Perhaps I shouldn't have asked that question!

No Internet...

The internet has continued to be intermittent and today it decided to go completely. The landline has gone with it. It is only when something is taken away that we truly appreciate how much we have come to rely on it. I can’t access my novel because it’s stored on Google Drive. I can’t email anyone; watch Netflix or catch-up TV and I can’t phone anyone. None of the tablets or mobile phones will connect, even using mobile data. It’s like we’ve been put under a glass dome that does not allow us to connect with the outside world. [It’s a bit over the top, but I’m extremely hot and irritated at this point]

I had set today aside to sort out my holiday clothes and pack my suitcase but I’ve spent most of it on my mobile going through various routines, trying to locate the issue with the help of Sky.

I was asked where the master socket was. I know where it is, but it’s in a room we are currently using for storage, so I had to pull out dozens of boxes, a couple of cupboards, a sofa and a set of drawers to access it. Called back and spoke to a second operator who told me to take the front panel off the master socket and connect the ADSL lead to the hidden socket. Did that and it looked good for 5 minutes then died.

My daughter is going crazy as she has to meet a friend in a pub called the Parrot and doesn’t know where it is. The friend has printed off her timesheet for work because without wifi she can’t print anything. She has texted some friends who have told her “it’s near the dolphin”. Sadly, she doesn’t know that one either. People have forgotten how to say “it’s in Mill Lane” or “on the corner of Wells Street and North Road” which would enable us to look the road up in a map book. She has just set off in the general direction of the town centre and hopes to find it by running in circles.

On a lighter note, the lady who was trying to help me today asked me to load a web page to check whether the internet was working or not. I muttered “Google search... Cannabis, that will do,” which made her laugh. I felt I should explain that I was writing a novel and had Googled lots of off things to help me kill off my characters. As the police haven’t arrived at my door I guess she believed me!

Well, I’m off on my holidays on Friday for a week and I hope the internet issue has been resolved by then. The engineer is coming after I leave and there’s no wifi where we are staying, so I won’t know the outcome until we are on our way back. I am leaving 3 very sad little faces behind...