Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Withdrawal symptoms because of Internet woes

Argh! I’ve been without my Internet connection for three days now and it’s driving me crazy. Life without the Internet sucks. You know my Blogivitis syndrome? It’s gone into overdrive because…

~ I can’t check my email for new spam / junk mail.

~ I can’t log into FaceBook to see who has poked me or added me as a friend or whether I need to make new moves in Scrabulous or challenge the next person to RPS.

~ I can’t log into Bloglines, my online RSS feedreader to see if there are updated posts that I can comment on.

~ I can’t check for new sponsored post opps. I think two opps that I reserved right before disaster struck have expired by now. Shoot!

~ I can’t check to see who has left a comment on my blogs.

~ Worst of all, I can’t update my blogs!

It feels strangely like there’s a whole world going on out there without me and man… I can’t stand it! I never knew that the Internet was so… addictive.

The whole saga started out on Saturday evening when we decided to update the security settings on our wireless modem / router. Up till then it had been unsecured and we were kind of worried that unscrupulous people might be leeching off it since it’s on nearly 24/7. Update went well until Sunday evening. For no reason at all, five different wireless devices simply couldn’t detect the router’s Internet connection – two laptops, one computer, one PDA and one mobile phone. The router seemed to be working fine – steady connection, no dreaded blinking lights, etc. We could see the router on the wireless networks available, and successfully connect to the router but not to the Internet connection. A hard reset of the router meant that now we could detect and connect to the router, but there was still no line! Placing calls to Screamyx’s technical assistance didn’t help either… they said that there was no problem with the account and with the line, so it must be the router problem. Cheh! Better yet, my laptop decided to go on the fritz at that very moment too by refusing to start up. It showed not the blue screen of death, but the very close to it black screen of MSDOS. Grrrrr….

I went around the Digital Mall looking at the prices of wireless modem cum routers on Monday and still didn’t know which model to get without consulting my IT guru, i.e. my Dad. So I just got a number of price quotes for him to see. Monday evening passed by without the Internet connection. By then, my Mum was heartily sick of me moaning that life is so empty and meaningless without the Internet that she was ready to pack me off to the nearest place with WiFi connectivity just so I can get my Internet fix. LOL! But I made do with a quickie check of my emails using the horribly slow dial-up.

Come Tuesday, I was champing at the bit and decided to go get a new wireless modem router if that would solve all my problems. So armed with my price lists and having a model or so in my mind, I went router shopping. Where I got sweet-talked by the salesman into buying a slightly more expensive model (Linksys) than the one I originally intended to buy (ProLink). Oh well, it did come with a 3 year warranty and his assurances that no one had yet returned any model for repairs, etc etc etc. Lugged home my new purchase, happily set it up and waited for restored connection, but….. pffffft! Still no connection! Grrrrrrrr…

Today, yet another call to Screamyx to lodge a report and I get put on hold for 20 minutes just so that they can open a report and tell me that, “It’ll take up to 2 working days for our technicians to get back to you. If you don’t hear from them after 2 working days, please call us again and quote your report number.” *bangs head on table*

Will someone please, please, please restore my life Internet connection to me?

14 spins:

L B said...

Oh you poor thing! I KNOW how that feels.. I was banished into Un-Internetland for a few weeks two Christmases ago (I think)! That was so .. banished! Hurry Back.. Missing you..

Anonymous said...

Ah so there's where you've been! Did you try checking your login settings? I remember something odd like this happening once to my bro - I'll try checking with him to see how he solved it. Miss you!

rainbow angeles said...

Waa... u oso kena... really a Conspiracy going on somewhere!!

If your modem & router's lights' are stable (ie. not blinking), it should be Screamyx problem. Dun let them tell u otherwise!!

Thank god I got my 'life' back liao... :D

Hope you get yours soon!

Ehon said...

if u do a hard reset, u have to reconfigure your modem again i think.

you have to enter all your password and stuff all over again like u first got an internet connection. i think it's in the guide you get when u first register for a streamyx.

why last time i lodge report with streamyx only wait a few mins? i lodge quite a few times actually.. all only put on hold for a few mins..

Doreen said...

Internet is addictive. In fact it has become an essential part of human lives.

eastcoastlife said...

Oh you poor syt! Angel and May kena and now you. Hope you can get it fixed soon. tsk tsk tsk....

Hugs

eastcoastlife said...

Oops. forgot.
*flowers and Ribena, throws a turkey!* hehehe....

Anonymous said...

You had me really worried there when I didn't see the usual Rinnah comments popping up like mushrooms all over my blogs. There there...it will soon be all right. How about going to an internet cafe to get your internet fix whilst waiting?

rinnah said...

l b: I felt so lost! And I missed you too! *wails* But it's back now, so... *cheers up*

parisb: Yaloh... forced disappearance. I kept on checking and re-checking everything hoping that I had just missed out something, but nope... it really was a Screamyx line problem!

angel: You also kena ah? Why so cheh one... that's what I kept on telling the Screamyx techs... that the connection's stable, I installed everything perfectly, bla bla bla...

ehon: Yup. Reconfigured the setting but still didn't get no connection... it turned out to be a pesky line problem in the end.

I listened to the horrible put-you-on-hold music for so long I was on the verge of hanging up! LOL!

doreen: I can't imagine life without the Internet! It's horrible! *shivers*

eastcoastlife: Oh well. It had to happen in threes anyway! LOL! Oooh! I love Ribena! *slurps away happily*

giddy tiger: Hahaha... I'm such a constant, eh? I was wondering all day long if I was missing out on any interesting posts (which I was!)... I went for free WiFi lor...

sengkor said...

i think it's not the modem/router problem leh..

i had a similar problem as well last time. i even went to exchange my router because it's still under warranty (i tot router rosak).

but my genius IT fren come to my house and look see look see, it's just some IP conflict. He changed some IP address and voila! it's alive!!

rinnah said...

sengkor: Really? Shoulda tried that before I dropped a bomb on the new modem/router. But the new one seems to be speedier than the old modem/router, so I guess it's a trade-off lor...

may said...

heh... I'm almost as bad, but I've learnt to control it a little. at least there's still connection in the office, which isn't half bad ;-)

hope you get your connection fixed soon!

zewt said...

now i really fear if my place in UK will be without internet access... that would be tragic.

rinnah said...

may: Ha... I don't have any office connection this week since I'm between jobs right now, so the moment I didn't have the house connection... I freaked! LOL!

zewt: Ah, your greener pasture is UK? Yup, life without access would be really tragic!