  Jodokast96Stupid people really piss me off.Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ
kudos:2 | A Verizon tech recently stopped by? That was from over 4 months ago. And I still feel the same way about it. Get your damn first line DSL support up to par before trying to fix somebody elses product. | |
|
 |  gaforcesUnited We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA | Re: A Verizon tech recently stopped by? said by Jodokast96:That was from over 4 months ago. And I still feel the same way about it. Get your damn first line DSL support up to par before trying to fix somebody elses product. A couple weeks ago I noticed an ATT tech working on the lines near my residence, it looked like he was grounding the line.
I noticed after he left a 12 gauge piece of bare copper around 18 in, all the wire insulation from the splicing, and a rubber/foam grommet on the sidewalk that he didnt clean up after himself.
There was also a 6" x 18" plastic boot covering the area he was working.
So it looks like they did some preventive maintenance.
The routers that are available now are pretty easy to use, the hardest part is remembering the wep key #s 
I think the most problems are from not keeping AV/Anti-spyware sig's and OS updated.
--
‘Do ye, quieting in your bosoms your strong hearts,
Who of many good things have had your fill even to surfeit,
With what is moderate nourish your mighty desire; for neither will
We yield, nor shall you have all else as you wish.’
Solon | |
|
| | Reviews:
 ·Verizon FiOS
| Re: A Verizon tech recently stopped by? He left a piece of copper behind??? I would have snagged that before the copper thieves did! 
Oh, let the home user stay ignorant over their networking. Keeps those of us that make some income helping them, in the now and afloat. Far cheaper than GeekSquad, and no need to return (for same issue) as it gets done right the time!
 | |
|
| | |  FiLPremium
join:2005-08-16
Silver Spring, MD | Re: A Verizon tech recently stopped by? of course. People like us refrain from saying it, but we need ignorant people to keep us in business, or am I missing something?
Hell, I LOVE setting up routers and setting up security, its easy as pie! All for business too, can't beat my current arrangement. | |
|
| | | | Reviews:
 ·Hargray Cable
| Re: A Verizon tech recently stopped by? said by FiL:of course. People like us refrain from saying it, but we need ignorant people to keep us in business, or am I missing something? Hell, I LOVE setting up routers and setting up security, its easy as pie! All for business too, can't beat my current arrangement. You ever just take your laptop and see how many networks are unsecure? I do that here and there and I'm surprised at the number of home networks I can get into. | |
|
| | | | | AmmlerPremium
join:2005-04-19
Pittsburgh, PA | Re: A Verizon tech recently stopped by? Yes. One day I took my laptop and net stumbler, and walked around the perimeter of the house. In the front I found 4 networks, only 1 locked down. In the back I found 5 networks, 2 locked down.
Well some of these "wide open" people have a clue, as some actually took the time to move off of the default channel of "6". I guess they just haven't found that "security" tab yet on the browser screen.
I'm actually going out on a house call tonight. My client has a wide open network that I'm about to lock down for them. I've been there before cleaning out PCs. Last trip I did a site survey with my laptop. I found a total of 4 networks, including theirs. Of these, only one is actually secured. | |
|
| | | | | |  sea93
join:2001-11-01
River Grove, IL | Re: A Verizon tech recently stopped by? You move off of channel 6 for ......interference reasons? I presume? | |
|
| | | | | Jodokast96Stupid people really piss me off.Premium
join:2005-11-23
Erial, NJ
kudos:2 | I've found 1 out of about 10-20 in my neighborhood that was locked, and about the same percentage in other areas. The best part is none of them changed the default username/passwords on the routers either. My oh my at how many people I could screw with. | |
|
| | | | | emptywigHuh? What?Premium
join:2002-08-05
Pasadena, TX | I was working with a client this morning, and when I was redoing the network settings on one of the workstations I noticed that the wireless adapter was actually connected to another company's open network. I corrected that situation, and when I left, I walked around the floor until I found the company whose SSID I saw. I walked in, presented a card, told them that their network was broadcasting and open for all to use, and that they might consider locking it all down.
I have an appointment to see them tomorrow morning
Cutovers, too. Easy money, nice commissions.
wig
--
Sometimes a paradox is just a paradox | |
|
| | | | |  jbgroup1Non ConformistPremium
join:2000-05-04
Dayton, MD
·Verizon FiOS
| said by Corehhi:said by FiL:of course. People like us refrain from saying it, but we need ignorant people to keep us in business, or am I missing something? Hell, I LOVE setting up routers and setting up security, its easy as pie! All for business too, can't beat my current arrangement. You ever just take your laptop and see how many networks are [unsecured]? I do that here and there and I'm surprised at the number of home networks I can get into. Amazing! In my complex there are 10 networks including mine available and only one is unsecured, I repeat, unsecured and seven of them are using WPA including a couple using enterprise WPA which is what I use. I use a RADIUS server and a domain controller to log on to my wireless network.
--
This post sponsored by ME.. A pleasure to read | |
|
| | | | | |  raydog1Feel SecurePremium
join:2003-07-10
La Vergne, TN | Re: A Verizon tech recently stopped by? I know a couple high-level IT guys who leave their home wifi wide open. They would rather have the speed and easy access and have said, "If it becomes a problem, then I'll deal with it."
Really, the chances that you'll get hit are pretty low. The level of security you want only depends on your perception of risk and other safeguards you have in place. I'm a little paranoid so I could never do that, but I understand their perspective. So I wonder how many unsecured networks out there belong to people who actually know what they're doing? | |
|
| |  elios
join:2005-11-15
Springfield, MO | you meant to say WPA2 right  it just slipped your mind | |
|
| | | | | Re: A Verizon tech recently stopped by? "Just say no to WEP!
WPA2 preferred!"
| |
|
| | | gaforcesUnited We Stand, Divided We Fall
join:2002-04-07
Santa Cruz, CA | wups | |
|
 ftthzIf love can kill hate can also save
join:2005-10-17 | average joe probably true ... for the non-tech savy people out there | |
|
| Reviews:
·Bright House
| Re: average joe I cannot agree with people being stupid about this stuf. Its more obout "unwillingness to learn" simply because it's easier to just say "eh, I don't know" than it is to read a little info about the router, followed by a quick visit to "Google" or "Wikipedia" to learn about the stuff you don't know about. I cannot accept the fact that "it's too hard" if you have a amn manual to help. Especially if the manual tells you everything you need to know about it. Most of the time, though, the manuals are either on a CD in PDF format (stupid people don't know what a PDF is) or it's not written for the "techno challenged" people. It's a router, and doesn't have to be roket science to setup. It IS what YOU make it though. You would not believe how stupid people are. I can't count how many times I have spoke to someone who has a router and doesn't even know they had one, and THEY BOUGHT IT, THEMSELVES!!! | |
|
| | xo
join:2007-06-15
Perry, FL | Re: average joe i think for most people it seems so overwhelming and they don't know where to begin.. | |
|
 Romney2012Defeat Obama 2012-Chg we can believe inPremium
join:2002-03-03
USA
kudos:4 |  If they can deliver, the support is worth the cost ....
My experience is that most home users haven't a clue on how to setup a home network. And the few that do often do very poorly on setting up proper security for the network.
If Verizon can actually help do that the price is worth it.
--
--
Internet News
My BLOG
My Web Page | |
|
|  JeffreyWilpon please sell the MetsPremium
join:2002-12-24
Long Island
kudos:3
 ·Vonage
·Optimum Online
| Re: If they can deliver, the support is worth the cost .... I help out a lot of people with their home networks, and while I'm all for people paying small fees if Verizon (or whoever) can actually deliver on their service, but we all know that phone support is only as good as the person on the other end, as well as the complexity of the problem.
With some issues, you really need to have someone live in person to fix them. | |
|
|  MaxoYour tax dollars at work.Premium,VIP
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL | One thing that 2-Wire does (or at least did, I haven't used any of their new products in years) is encrypt by default. The encryption key is on the bottom. When you run the disk installer it shows you exactly where on your modem to find the key. Once you type it in it configure your computer automatically.
If all hardware vendors did this then war driving would be a much more frustrating experience. | |
|
| |  PaulgDisplaced YooperPremium
join:2004-03-15
Neenah, WI
kudos:1 | Re: If they can deliver, the support is worth the cost .... 2Wire still does do this.
Of course, its only WEP, so its just a false sense of security. | |
|
| | | | | Re: If they can deliver, the support is worth the cost .... WEP is still better than nothing n'est pas? It gives a home owner an excuse to have someone charged for using the network without their permission, since they need to actively bypass the so called "security". | |
|
| | | |
| | | MaxoYour tax dollars at work.Premium,VIP
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL | said by Paulg:Of course, its only WEP, so its just a false sense of security. The new 2-wires are still WEP only? That is a shame. | |
|
| | | | PaulgDisplaced YooperPremium
join:2004-03-15
Neenah, WI
kudos:1 | Re: If they can deliver, the support is worth the cost .... No, not WEP only, just the default out of the box setting is WEP, currently, ours is running WPA2. | |
|
| | | | | MaxoYour tax dollars at work.Premium,VIP
join:2002-11-04
Tallahassee, FL | Re: If they can deliver, the support is worth the cost .... said by Paulg:No, not WEP only, just the default out of the box setting is WEP, currently, ours is running WPA2. That's better. I sure wish my older model supported WPA2. | |
|
 en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
1 edit | and the cost is... Post-launch a Verizon tech stopped by our forums to insist the added fee was worth it. "I have personally helped customers solve issues that would have cost them hundreds of dollars to repair and they only had to pay the 9.99 for a month," he says. And how many months of $9.99 the customer paid for ?
1 year of Verizon tech support = $119.88
Not horrible, however, isn't AT&T offering $10/month DSL in some markets ? For $0.12/year more than Verizon's tech support, I would have actual DSL service
--
Canada = Hollywood North | |
|
| | $10 a month for a service- with most of the info that could be gleaned from some fabulous forums like 'dslreports'-not to mention some of the great personalities to go along with it! | |
|
bmn? ? ?Premium,ExMod 2003-06
join:2001-03-15
hiatus
1 edit | Support the neighborhood kid... Instead of paying a recurring fee every month for a support service that might not be able to help, just call the kid down the street with a clue and pay him $20 or $30 bucks and have him/her fix it. Network issues are much easily solved with a person onsite than over the phone... I know, I have clients who try to fix it over the phone with me coaching them and they usually get frustrated because it requires something that is easier done by us onsite (router reconfiguration from scratch, etc.).
edit: typo...
| |
|
| dmconwa
join:2007-04-19
Albuquerque, NM | Re: Support the neighborhood kid... The Verizon fee includes technician visits. The plan gives you tier 2 support, but if they can't figure out the problem then a tech is dispatched at no additional cost. | |
|
| emptywigHuh? What?Premium
join:2002-08-05
Pasadena, TX | I agree.
Caveat emptor, though. The problem I had to fix this morning was caused by one of the partners calling a friend of his son to "fix" his wireless problem. The kid's "solution" was to reset the office router and leave the wireless completely open. Unfortunately, this also killed all access to the net for the entire office. He also left the router passwords at the default values.
Not such a bargain.
wig
--
Sometimes a paradox is just a paradox | |
|
 LaZ3RPremium
join:2003-01-17 | Gotta love people... Who let people take advantage of themselves because they are too lazy to bother learning something. Then again, part of the reason is because most adults today grew up in a generation which could care less about computers/technology at the time. And people wonder why their connections are slower than normal
--
Life is a game of blackjack. You keep playing until you bust. | |
|
|
See 7 replies to this post |
|
| | The average Joe\Jane... just doesn't care about computers\networking\software\etc. People just want their computers to work. Yeah, it would be nice if they learned enough to keep their rigs running smoothly, but it's not gonna happen in the real world.
If a company can offer good support at a fair price, there's no need for every person to become a network expert. If you know the kid down the block can help you, then give him your business. Whatever. I just hate to see the big companies charging people monthly for a service they probably only need for initial set-up and maybe the occasional reconfiguring. | |
|
| | | Re: The average Joe\Jane... "doesn't care about computers\networking\software\etc. People just want their computers to work."
That's why apple is doing so good right now.
--
Folding for our future!! | |
|
| | xo
join:2007-06-15
Perry, FL | Re: The average Joe\Jane... aren't you the omnipotent one? | |
|
| | | Please, Please...
It's my day off, I'm just regular old dslreports user today.
--
Folding for our future!! | |
|
 Titus PulloI came, I saw, I slept
join:2004-06-26
kudos:1
 ·Embarq Now Centu..
| Joe user? Heh. I know people in IT that have yet to implement a home network with simple sharing. One striking example is a guy that works for a major govt contractor with over 20 years of tech support and programming (for the past 10) experience. He's simply overwhelmed by Help or websites. I talked him through setting up his f'n router for wireless with WPA, and all I have is a lowly plebeian Network+ cert that I've forgotten 2/3's of.
The companies will make setting up these devices even simpler, thereby putting more tech people out of work ala MS and the programming depts with all their wizard BS to Form nirvana. Idiots.
--
A monthly desktop thread should only happen when Paris Hilton buys a computer. | |
|
 PolarBear03The bear formerly known as aaron8301Premium
join:2005-01-03 | I hope it never changes... I'm glad most people aren't smart enough to secure their routers. It's because of this that I have still yet to purchase a wireless data card from my wireless provider - I don't need to. Whenever I am on the road and I need to use the internet for something, I simply pull over in a suburban neighborhood and connect to an unsecured network. Don't have cell service and need to make a call? Same thing - connect my wi-fi phone to someones' unsecured wi-fi and talk away.
--
There comes a point in your life when you get tired of fixing everything and wiping everyone's ass. But it’s not giving up. It’s realizing that you don’t need certain people and the bullshit and drama they bring to your life. | |
|
| | | Re: I hope it never changes... Having worked tech support before, a lot of it is people just being too lazy to learn. Posters are saying people don't have the time? Time!? What, the 15-30 minutes it takes to follow the grade school reading level instructions with pictures? A lot of people are just lazy and don't want to bother learning new things.
It's just like back in the day people would complain about how hard it was to set the time on their VCR. | |
|
| | PolarBear03The bear formerly known as aaron8301Premium
join:2005-01-03 | Re: I hope it never changes... Very good point. | |
|
| |  roc5955Premium
join:2005-11-26
Rosendale, NY | BINGO!
Hit the nail right on the head.
People are soooooo lazy these days.
Manuals have come a long way from when they were written in 'Engrish.' They are now written in plain english, as well as many other languages, with PICTURES, just in case you can't read.
--
"Understanding is a three-edged sword." | |
|
Reviews:
·Choice Cable TV
·Coqui/PRTC
| It's the security Joe User can usually setup a simple home network as long as it is wired since most routers and computers already come with the correct configuration. It's the security part or if the ISP does something different than most when things get ugly for them. On a recent visit to a friend I had to sit down with him and secure his wireless access point. He was aware of the security issues he had but did not know enough or was unwilling to actually sit down and try to fix things up. When I did sit down and do it he was next to me with a notebook taking notes of all I did in case the router screwed up and he had to reconfigure it. It's all in the manuals and help screens but Joe User prefers to have someone teach him or simple have someone else do it for him entirely. | |
|
Asmodeus
join:2004-05-26
Spring Valley, CA | nothing new... i've said this many times and i'll say it again... the average user who wants to setup a wireless network or deal with electronics (consumer) in general is dumbfounded by the terminology, the complexity of the software, the myriads of options, and the general troubleshooting apparatus. It's made worse by crappy to non-existent user manuals and even worse customer support... until developers start thinking like joe sixpack and develop software and terminology that is better suited for joe sixpack, this will always be an issue... | |
|
| Reviews:
·Frontier Communi..
 ·Wireless Beehive
| Re: nothing new... said by Asmodeus:i've said this many times and i'll say it again... the average user who wants to setup a wireless network or deal with electronics (consumer) in general is dumbfounded by the terminology, the complexity of the software, the myriads of options, and the general troubleshooting apparatus. How can someone be dumbfounded by something so simple as this? I still think it comes down to simple stupidity. It's the same stupidity that results in less than half of the US population being able to give the name of their congressperson.
That TV commercial that says "people are smart" is a lie. The truth is that people are dumb. | |
|
| hughv
join:2006-08-19
Annapolis, MD | I think Asmodeus1 is onto something here.
I've dealt with many home networks and wireless issues, and with a wide range of users.
Even the most capable of these has virtually no clue how to proceed when something goes wrong, despite my best efforts to give them some troubleshooting tips. I truly hate dealing with these problems over the phone.
People have families and jobs that take a great deal of their time, and not much interest in becoming techies: they just want the damn thing to work.
In some cases I've installed remote control software(Usually VNC) that solves the problem, but that involves a certain amount of time and complexity, so I only do this in a few situations.
Complexity and crappy support is definitely part of the problem. but I think it's also true that most people don't have a clue about how their computers work, especially in navigating the file system (Where did that download go?).
Users aren't going to change, so joe sixpack needs to be accommodated. | |
|
 calvoiper
join:2003-03-31
Belvedere Tiburon, CA | Half and Half.... Half of me says this is due to our schools teaching "sensitivity" and "cooperative problem solving" instead of science and math.
The other half says "who cares?" The Darwinian effect is that these incompetent souls will have a harder time in life, which should (but probably won't) limit the propagation of their technically incompetent genes....
calvoiper
--
VoIP--the death knell of remaining voice monopolies! | |
|
| Titus PulloI came, I saw, I slept
join:2004-06-26
kudos:1 Reviews:
·Embarq Now Centu..
| Re: Half and Half.... It's all too easy to blame only the schools; the bigger problems are the parents of the lazy bastards and a society that promotes instant gratification through consumerism. They buy it but don't want to read (or don't know how) in order to use it. This is, however, spread across all age groups. My sister still can't organize or troubleshoot a computer and she's been using them for over 20 years, both personally and professionally.
The Darwin effect -- as I think I covered above -- blew through town a decade or two ago; we're seeing the effect of junk-genes now, hence this thread and a rampant stupidity that bubbles all the way to the college level. There is abso-f'n-lutely no shortage of lazy, ignorant and slovenly-minded people that are enabled by folks being 'helpful' in that they answer these champions of brain-idleness every single time they pose a question for even the simplest of tasks. Until those who know start saying RTFM with extreme prejudice this sublime decline will continue unabated.
--
A monthly desktop thread should only happen when Paris Hilton buys a computer. | |
|
 TechieZeroTools Are Using MePremium
join:2002-01-25
Gibsonton, FL
·Verizon FiOS
| Home Users... Typical home users should not care. These products are more than Joe Public needs to know. However manuals should be read just to better understand whatever install process that needs to be followed with some recommendations.
In the least these networks should have WEP-64 enabled as a default for maximum compatability and randomly generate a key. | |
|
|
|
