Hmmm, I wonder if there is a reason for all this. All I know is that I don't have these types of problems with my company that provides internet service. Just a thought...but doesn't having internet service mean that the customer should be on the internet instead of on a phone call with music for an hour to determine why they can't get onto the internet? I thought so. Kimi At 6/18/01 07:04 AM, you wrote: >Firstly, let me make it clear that I never chose to conduct business >with Earthlink Inc. Earthlink seized control of my Mindspring account >over a year ago, including the email address I used at mindspring... > >Lately, more and more often, the server on the remote end of the >Earthlink system is flat-out refusing to identify itself with a valid >IP address. Of course, this makes pppd crash and burn after sending >the error message (in text) "Unauthorized remote IP address" back to >Earthstink's system. Then my end hangs up... > >This is only a problem some of the time, which leads me to believe >they've got a few bastard systems hanging around in their cabinets or >something. Anything that can be done on my end to force their system >to behave correctly (doubt it.. but..) > >Lately, however, its not resolved itself in a few minutes - it took a >few hours last night. Its the middle of the night now (10PM), and the >hold time is averaging 15 minutes _anyways_ ... these peoples customer >service is CRAP compared to what I was used to with Mindspring... >Nevertheless, I feel a deep need to at least yell at someone, so I am >writing this while I listen to classic music (violins and shit, not >talking 80s rock heheh). I'll send it if or when I ever get back >online. > >Earthlink should have sent everyone who was forced to migrate to their >service a speakerphone. My ear hurts. > >Now both ears hurt. (I switched a while ago, its been way more than 15 >minutes.) > >I think I'll take a stab at just disabling IP authentication if I >cannot convince the technician that a problem exists. Only one >phoneline free in this house though, and sacrificing my painfully >earned position in the hold que is a non-option. Besides, this song is >better than the last dozen or so. Im not sure if this opens any cans >of worms or not. Anyone? > >It just occured to me.. is the current average hold time really 15 >minutes until you speak with a Live Technician(tm), or is that the >average time people wait before bailing out because theres actually no >one there at all right about now? > >Hey, I heard a click! > >Their CD player must have reset - Ive heard this song before. Its the >one with a single out of place note that sounds suspiciously like the >Windows 95 default error chime. I wonder if they inserted that. Or >maybe its the new Microsoft On Hold? Do they sell that? From what I've >heard about MS support, they've probably made one.. do they sell >copies? They probably do, and Earthlink would eat something like that >up... > >Hmmm... How long do I have to wait to speak to a DEAD technician? I >promise I'll be seriously impressed if he or she is able to speak >back, even if they cant help me. Unless they really arent dead. > >38 minutes and counting here. 30 to be fair, and allow for dialing and >navigating their automatic operator. >slick:~$ ls -l /tmp/ppp-raw >-rw-r----- 1 root root 1345 Jun 17 22:42 /tmp/ppp-raw >slick:~$ date >Sun Jun 17 23:19:49 MST 2001 > >I am twice as stubborn as the average victim, who hung up long ago. > >If only I had bought a DVD player, I could have watched half a movie >by now. > >OK - its 23:34 and Im done. I reported the problem to them, and have >obtained two alternate access numbers that connect to physically >different machines. When I get stuck at the stubborn machine in the >dialing rotation, I can try another server. The technician said he'd >send a note to a supervisior with what I had told him about their >systems sending an invalid IP address, along with the time and dialin >number I used. Hopefully the machine I connected and logged into will >be in their logs, and they can figure out what is wrong with that >sucker. > > > >-- >jkenner @ mindspring . com__ >I Support Linux: _> _ _ |_ _ _ _| >Working Together To <__(_||_)| )| `(_|(_)(_| >To Build A Better Future. | >________________________________________________ >See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't >post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. > >PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us >http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss