Might be gone for a while

  • Active since 1995, Hearth.com is THE place on the internet for free information and advice about wood stoves, pellet stoves and other energy saving equipment.

    We strive to provide opinions, articles, discussions and history related to Hearth Products and in a more general sense, energy issues.

    We promote the EFFICIENT, RESPONSIBLE, CLEAN and SAFE use of all fuels, whether renewable or fossil.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Backwoods Savage

Minister of Fire
Feb 14, 2007
27,811
Michigan
Just a heads up to my many friends on this forum but I may have to be offline for a while. We're having numerous Internet problems here and the frustration level is just about off the board. I tried for 2 hours again this morning but if I could get on, it would be for about 2 minutes and then off again. They've tried to fix and we even got a new computer so even though they claimed it was our computer, that fell through too. Hooked us up a new line. That worked for about 24 hours. Anyway, just a heads up that the Backwoods Savage might not be able to connect much longer.
 
Might be time to go broadband. You can usually try any of the major players for a couple of weeks, with no obligations. What is cellular service like at your place?
I'm actually using a smartphone with mobile hotspot capability. My other options here are satellite, which sucked, and dialup, which sucked about the same.
 
Cell service is terrible here. Sometimes I can get a connection but most times not. No cable either. I've heard that satellite is not good but we may have to give it a try. Ya, sometimes service really sucks.
 
Not here Gary. Too far out. No cable either. No NG. No traffic!!! ;)
 
Satellite may be your least undesirable option. I will say that it always worked, unless there was a thunderstorm, snow accumulated on the dish, or a storm in Laredo. I had a period of a couple of weeks that I had quite a few issues
It was apparently really stormy in Texas. I complained loud enough that I got a credit for.the whole billing cycle.

It's been a while, but at the time they had three different download speeds, with three different rates. The tech that did the install said he thought it was a scam because the only difference was the receiver. There was no reason for a much higher monthly rate. I'd look into it, and bargain with the different companies. Also be aware that, at least at the time, there was no trial period. I signed up for 18 months, and that was that.

If your interested in changing at all. If not, ignore the unsolicited advice, and good luck with your internet issues.
 
At our place we have crappy Verizon cell service but great Sprint service. There's actually an antenna just down the road. Supposedly 4G is coming...in 2014! Anyway, that's what we use for internet access on a modem that plugs into a wireless router. We also don't have cable, dsl, fios, etc.
 
Hope you get it sorted out, problems like that can be very frustrating. I went through it a few years ago w/ DSL interenet. Switched to cable internet, and had problems there for about 6 months as well. Finally, the problems seem to be sorted out (all were on their end, despite them trying to blame my equipment as well) and life is good.

See ya when you get there.

pen
 
Wonder how you are going to fill the void......perhaps you could modify the milk crate into a satellite dish"...
 
  • Like
Reactions: ISeeDeadBTUs
What are you using to connect Dennis?
 
Not here Gary. Too far out. No cable either. No NG. No traffic!!! ;)
It's a wonder you two didn't have a boatload of kids!!

Prolly nothing wrong with your ISP/Connection. Ya prolly been banned from hearth.com and/or the latest Windows Update is not fully burped yet. Use the down time to go get some more wood. Or chase the ornery wife around.

Or both
 
I'll be good Dennis and promise not to tell all the new members that the only way to split wood with a hydraulic splitter is to do so horizontally. ;) Good luck with your technical difficulties.
 
Between your 2 computers did you have the same anti-virus/firewall software?
I use Mcafee and for about 4-5 months my connection wasn't worth a dime.
I did some research and it turns out they made an update that basically shut down my internet connection.
Some type of firewall addition that had some bugs in it that they were taking their time fixing.
The only way I found out about it was through a user blog on Mcafee products.
 
Like FFJ said they run the lines horizontal to your house, tell them you want the lines run Vertical. ==c

zap
 
Hey, they may have found the problem....in their lines. Simple moisture. I've had it on for a few hours after they left and again this evening and it is working just fine. So far, so good.

We have dsl through the phone lines. Our telephone company is a really small independent locally owned (farmer owned) company. It is amazingly good for just a small company but, of course, our rates have skyrocketed. When we got married we were billed once every 3 months and the charge was $3.10 per month plus long distance. Today's phone bills run over $90.00 per month. Now that is a bit of change for sure.
 
For 10 years we had crosstalk on our phone lines every time it rained, it took a week to dry out. They couldn't or wouldn't fix it. We gave up and went to cable for phone, internet and TV. Now the home phone is a cell. My father had the same moisture problem. He forced them to put in new wires on the poles. I think if you have no other options, the public utilities commision can make them fix it. Don't give up.
 
Can you hear me now?

Business-woman-conversation-tin-string.jpg
 
Can you hear me now?

More of your posts should look like that, instead of "Debbie Does Wood Stoves".
action-smiley-060.gif


Dennis, I hope it works out for you & Judy for the 'net connection.

Sorry for the semi hijack, but I think you'd agree.
 
Rural internet can be a pain. When our internet was on phone lines we had similar problems. We are a long way from the local switch. The line would get incredibly noisy after a rainstorm, then hot sun. They replaced the lines to the house, etc.but nothing cured the problem until a smart technician started pulling card from the local switch. Bingo all fixed.It turned out there was a leak in the box that allowed a drip on that card. That fix took about 2 years to finally fix. When cable came down the road I was the first to sign up - for internet.
 
And all of our phone lines are now underground so one would not normally suspect moisture problems but the man said it can happen any place where the lines come up top. It appears they may have got this fixed, or at least all has been working well since he was here.
 
A two hundred pair cable is buried beside my 900 foot driveway all the way down to the road and for a mile behind us to the CO. At least every two years they are out here with a backhoe digging up my yard beside the driveway and putting another splice in that thing because of water incursion.
 
Ouch. That sounds as bad or worse than fighting the overhead lines.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.