What a pain it has been getting set up with Aliant high speed internet. It seems so simple. I have a cell phone and I just want to order high speed only.
I went into the Aliant store in Bayers Lake. I explained that I have separate phone and I just want to get set up with high speed internet. The clerk said yes yes yes we can do that, standard no problem. So I gave him my information and he filled out some stuff and I signed some stuff and I walked out the door with the white Internet in a box self install kit.
The Aliant store clerk assured me everything was on and ready to go and when I plugged in I would have access to the Internet. So a couple of weeks pass while I get my computer. Finally it arrives and I get it all plugged in.
Then I open up the white Aliant box and start the Internet install. There's a CD with a wizard. Unfortunately the install disc is crap software from Motive. The first time I ran it just abruptly crashed after a couple of the steps. The next time it got a bit further before freezing and needing to restart. Finally I got to a late screen where everything was plugged in properly and I had to enter some numeric code. I found one on my bill of sale but when I typed it in it failed and then started giving nasty error messages.
I called Aliant tech support. This is around 10 PM. The internet help desk guy was none too useful and within about 3 seconds of answering the phone he informed me that it is not a technical issue but a billing issue and he shunts me into some new queue. After a while someone from billing answers. English was not his first language and he was a dolt. The first thing he says is he needs my phone number. I tell him I have Internet only and no Aliant phone. He refuses to believe this.
After some arguing I convince him to look me up. After all I have a name, an address, and a billing number from my phone bill. Aliant may have screwed up my Internet but they sure got that bill out! After having to repeat the same information several times as he keyed it in incorrectly he insists that I'm not in his system and it's not his problem and talk to sales. Of course sales isn't around so call back tomorrow morning.
The next morning I did call back and the daytime crew is far better. First the guy from Internet help desk said it was indeed a tech issue. He was able to look up my service number in about 6 seconds from just my name and address after the dolt from the night before spent half and hour insisting I wasn't in their system. From there he told me how to log into the modem itself on the 192.168 local network and we went to the config screen and typed some stuff in and a couple of clicks later it's swoosh, nothing but Internet.
On the Siemens DSL modem the LAN console can be reached by just navigating to http://192.168.2.1 from Internet Explorer. The Aliant Modem Configuration screen appears and that's the modem console.
Great, all done right? Well this is Aliant so of course not. I get a bill this month and it's different than last month's bill. Now there is some local phone number service added. Say what? That wasn't on last months bill and I certainly didn't order it! I ordered high speed only. So again I have to call Aliant. The woman who answered was somewhat useful and explained that the original dealer made a mistake. This is the same original dealer who I was very careful to explain to that I was ordering high speed only. She would look into it and call me back shortly.
Around a half hour later she does call back and says now a technician has to come to my place after all to set it up properly. And it will cost $49 a month. I told her that I bought it on special for $35 a month. She agreed and had to change it. She informed me that because I don't have a land line I will have $10 tacked on. Thanks for not mentioning that Bayers Lake Aliant store.
Sigh, anyway at least they didn't cut off my service until the technician arrives next week. I'm a bit surprised they didn't. Maybe they meant to but managed to screw it up.
Knowing what I know now I would have just got high speed from Eastlink. I'm not locked into a contract with Aliant so I guess I can still switch if this hassle continues. Maybe after the $35 a month intro special wears off I'll switch.
2 comments:
Guess you've never dealt with Rogers!! Aliant is a "phone company" so the Internet runs through the Phone lines High Speed without a landline is called "pots free"(plain old telephone service)It still requires a phone # although there is not actually phone service. Too bad the dealer didn't explain that to you along with the other thing he missed but had he done his job properly there wouldn't have been any issue, a tech would've came out and set you up, no need for tech support so just to clarify, there was really no need to complain about the people who were given the wrong info.
Well i think he/she has an exceelent point. aliant can shove it up their fuckin arse. yahoo. this is true!
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