by Matt | Sep 15, 2005 | Aggravation, Web
So, I sit down for a few rounds of BF2 last night and I’m barely able to finish 1 map. I’m lagging so bad that the game is unplayble. I’ve seen and heard the horror stories from the people this happened to when the game was released, but as of two weeks ago I was playing perfectly. Low pings, great frame rate, everything. Now I’ve moved and everything has gone to hell. 2 blocks shouldn’t make that much difference. The cable modem is the same, my computer hasn’t changed, bf2 sat untouched. I don’t get it.
I’ve checked everything too. My system specs were perfect before hand, nothings changed. I’ve updated drivers, checked connections, run speed tests the whole deal.
The average speed test says I’m getting abouy 4.5M down and 250k up, well within cable modem norms. Yet, randomly, a web page will time out or, my main problem, bf2 will hang for sometimes up to 10 seconds.
Gx, one of my fellow Crew members pointed out that sometimes there’s a super shitty NOC outside Dallas that causes him problems similar to what I’m having. He suggested running a quick tracert to our server (which happens to be IN Dallas) durring peak hours tonight. I’m going to give that a try tonight.
What I really can’t understand is the “burst” effect. Its like I’m driving a really fast car… through stop and go traffic lights. I get great speed in short bursts, but when I go to “take it on the highway” and use that sustained/constant speed, it chokes. Something an expensive car and cable modem shouldn’t do.
I’m this close to jumping up the chain to tier 3 tech support and really chewing someone out. Aaaaarrrrrggg.
All I want to do is play the stupid game. Nothing else. Its all I ask of my internet.
by Matt | Sep 9, 2005 | Aggravation
I just realized that my entire Katrina post didn’t show up. I blame w.bloggar for not saving it properly. That blows. It took me an hour to write that stupid thing. Arrg.
by Matt | Sep 8, 2005 | Aggravation
I’m seriously considering a hypothesis that most of the world is retarded. Much like how 90% of the earth is covered by water, 90% of the people around me are complete and total idiots.
I’m referring to Time Warner specifically. The technitian, it seems, did not do as I requested the first time. I knew full well that there was about 6 cable splitters between the outside box and my computer room. I asked for the signal to be untrapped at the box and I asked for the spiltters to be bypassed and the signal sent directly to my study. I have ZERO plans on having TV service so I don’t care if the living room is bypassed all together. All of this wasn’t done. The result is a signal that I’ve had before.
After years and YEARS of dealing with cable modems and cable companies, there are some basic things that are required for proper service. A clean, powerful signal is one of them. I’ve dealt with shitty signals in dorms, in my 2 apartments in Savannah, in my house in NH, in my first apartment here. I KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I don’t need to sit on hold for tech support for 20 minutes only to be asked to turn off/on my modem. That’s not going to fix it you morons!
The problem is IN the wall. Its the fact that apartments are made as cheap as possible and that there’s 1 and only 1 line coming into them. That line, to service all the rooms in the apartment, is spilt 6 times (!!!) before it ever reaches a wall outlet. Each time it’s split, part of the signal is split with it. 1/6 of a signal is not going to cut it for me.
I ran several speed tests this morning before calling. I have an acceptable download speed, about 1400k/s, but that could be better, I’ve had it as high as 4M. My upload speeds however, were ranging from 18k/s to 140k/s. That, is simply not acceptable. 18k/s???
I tried to play BF2 last night. I connected, started moving, and immediately got disconnected for connection problems. Basically, I have enough download speed to check my email, but not enough to SEND email. That’s how pathetic it is.
So, to tech support I call. My favorite people in the universe. You’ve all heard the stories of my displeasure for Tier 1 support. I loath them. Sure, they’re only doing their jobs, but asking me if the lights on my modem are on is not going to cut it this time around.
Tier 1:
They ask me the usual “are the lights on” and “turn off your modem for me” questions. I tell them yes they are on and that I’m not at my computer to turn it off. The immediate response is “Sir, you’ll have to call back when you’re in front of you computer”. The hell I will. I say that this isn’t my first rodeo and that I know specifically what the problem is, describing the problem in detail. This confuses them and I get pushed to a Tier 2.
Tier 2:
Repeats the same tier 1 questions and asks me to restart my system this time. I go through the whole speech all over again. This time they understand and say that there isn’t much they can do from that end. I know that and ask for a technitian to come out. They say that they don’t schedule that anymore and they’ll have to transfer me to “local support”. Joy.
Local Support:
Doesn’t even bother asking me any questions, simply asks whats wrong. I explain the whole splitter thing, confusing them, but they agree to send out a technitian to check the lines and my signal strength. I’m astounded when they say the first available appointment is today at noon. I say unfortunately I’ll be at work and ask for a Monday appointment. Now, you’ll have to remember that last time I called they said the first Monday appointment available this month was all the way on the 26th. I’m again astounded when she says they have a 8am, 12pm or 3pm on Monday. Where were these people 2 weeks ago when I tired to get this done in the first place. I agree to the 8am and so, on Monday, we’ll get all this crap cleared up.
What bugs me the most is that I had requested all this in the first place. I know how apartment cabling works, I know how signal strength works. I know I need a clean untrapped signal to get the speeds I should. Maybe the guy thought I was asking to steal cable or something when I asked him to untrap it at the box. I wasn’t, I was being serious. I’ve had this problem dozens of times and it’s the only thing that works. You’d think they’d require an install tech to check the line quality and signal strength when they come out. Apparently they don’t, because all the guy did was turn on the signal at the box outside, come in and plug the modem in, and called it a day. Yes, the modem has a signal, I can physically talk to the outside world. That’s not the problem. The problem is that I’m getting the signal strength of a weak cup of tea.
I wonder sometimes about the gene pool around here.
by Matt | Sep 4, 2005 | Aggravation, Movies
We went to the movies tonight and caught Red Eye. 86 minutes is NOT an acceptable length for a movie by any stretch. Not that I would have wanted the torture to continue. The movie started borring, ran 86 minutes of borring back and forth dribble banter and ended borring. Pathetic in every sense. About 60 minutes of the 86 involved the worst dialog I’ve heard all delivered in a single setting. A plane.
Let me summerize the movie for you. A girl who can’t act meets a guy who has a pan face on a plane. They talk. The relationship ends badly. With death. The end.
It took so effing long for the “story” to start that when its over I thought it was going to do some of that Hollywood twist ending bullshit where the movie “ends” and then takes off in a whole new direction. But it doesn’t. It ends. It just friggin ends. Which, based on the dialog is probably for the best. Had I been forced to sit through 120 minutes instead of 86 I’m sure you’d be hearing about how it was way too long.
Way to go Hollywood, just keep flushing yourselves down the drain. See if I go to the movies again any time soon. Geez.
Red Eye – D- (and it didn’t get an F simply because something blew up in the end)
by Matt | Aug 31, 2005 | Aggravation
You know what, utility companies can suck my nuts. It’s rediculous trying to get any of them to do anything these days. I’ve already bitched about cable not coming out for 2 weeks, now the phone company jacked us around. They were supposed to come out yesterday and disconnect/reconnect our service. They went to the old apartment, went in, disconnected it, then came over to our new place and left because they couldn’t get it. They couldn’t get in because the call box/gate system didn’t ring our apartment. It didn’t ring our apartment BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE FUCKING PHONE SERVICE! Instead of going inside to ask the office to let them into the complex (they didn’t even need to go into our apartment) they just left. No call or note either, just left. So, when Lauren called today to ask what happened they said they couldn’t get in and we’d have to reschedule another install. Another install for SEPT 12TH! What bullshit. 2 weeks without cable, 2 1/2 weeks without phone. What’s bullshit about all of these companies is that they can’t give you a time that they’ll be there. When Lauren asked for a time they said they don’t give times, only “AM or PM”. 8-12 or 1-5. So, because you’re installers are fucking mongoloids and can’t ask someone to open the gate, I have to waste 4 hours of my life waiting for you. It’s damn lucky they could come out on a Monday, because if I had to take off work I’d be all sorts of pissed.
SBC, welcome to my shit list. You have penty of company.
by Matt | Aug 24, 2005 | Aggravation
I can’t believe the radio here in Houston. Talk about a complete waste of airwaves. Mix 96… mix my ass. The only people that think you offer a good “mix” of music are the deaf. What a crock of shit. I just heard John Meyer followed by the Smashing Pumpkins followed by Jason Mraz and No Doubt. If I culd pick 4 worthless bands whose destruction I could only wish for… those would be a good start. Music is dead people. DEAD!
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