A tech support experience

Today, I was to install a new router at my boss’ house. This router would enable him to telecomute to the office, via VPN. He has a DSL connection with Verizon, and since we have a SonicWall firewall at the office, it was suggested (by SonicWall “tech support”, of course) that installing a SonicWall at the remote site would be a snap.

Many of you are already screaming, as you have seen the names of the players involved. I hear you. Perhaps you heard my screams earlier today?

Verizon, already well-known for having some of the worst “customer service” around, and SonicWall? Joined together in one multi-headed medusa of lying and deceit? Yes. All allied in the cause of making my afternoon an unpleasant one. Score one for Red & Blue.

Of course it wasn’t a snap. Of course it wasn’t. But then you saw that coming. For some reason, Verizon’s DSL modem does not want to play nice with the SonicWall, despite the fact that all pertinent technologies are supported. Of course Verizon says it’s the SonicWall. Of course SonicWall says it’s Verizon.

The end of the day, and all I have to show for my efforts is a new private network address, and my boss’ daughter’s computer is connected to the internet, as I had a chance to replace her faulty NIC. At least she’s happy. And I can roll back a Netgear router very very quickly.

Why am I telling you this? Because this, my friends, is how I keep my blood pressure down. I vent. And through this blog, I can vent to more people. My favorite exchange of the entire afternoon was with one dim bulb at Verizon. After explaining that, yes, the private IP addresses are correct, and yes I have the PPPoE login and password correct, she says “Well, sir, I don’t have any other information for you”.

“Surely there’s something we missed here, maybe you need the MAC address of the new router? Flush an arp cache someplace?”

“No, sir, the only other people who might have more information on settings is sales”.

HUH? The sales department is gonna shed some light on this hardware problem? Do people actually accept this level of “support” on a regular basis? I’d LOVE to hear what sales would have had to say. Good lord. Tomorrow’s another day.