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 BHNtechXpertBHN StaffPremium,VIP
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL
kudos:82 | reply to Keiro
Re: Why do you use forums as your first line of support? said by Keiro:First and foremost reason - I dislike dealing with people through SIPRelay. (»siprelay.com btw if you're wondering.) or using my SorensonVRS video phone.
Second - I have trouble with communicating my issues through the phone due to SorensonVRS, Purple, ZVRS and many other videophone relay companies for the Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing have limits on how long you can respond. Purple has a 30 sec max response.
Third - If I get disconnected on the phone due to me relying on the Internet for my phone, that is, the videophone, I have to waste time in getting back to the same person that I dropped the call with due to something. (troubleshooting step that requires rebooting modem/router, or interruptions in service, etc.)
Fourth - It's much easier to post here and get a direct response from people in the know, and much easier to be able to describe the issue in extreme detail after having tested it numerous times. (ie, yes, already rebooted modem, router, computer, etc etc etc. with proof following the steps.)
And lastly... I don't have to get frustrated with having to deal with the automated voice response system.
Also, btw, I will be returning to BHN as a customer soon, I think.
Thank you Keiro. Your answers were a bit of an eye opener for me. It makes total sense why the deaf would find forums far easier (especially when you are in a good support forum). Over the years (many years) I have fielded my fair share of relay calls and they are extremely difficult and frustrating to say the least. The translation process and inherent delays make it very difficult to go through the process. Forums on the other hand allow you to be very specific without the risk of lost translation (or lack of understanding on the relay co part) and obviously the reverse for me. Your response has given me a great idea that I'll be working on next week...thank you again  Great great feedback
Now it's your turn...I have a slightly different question for you.
How can I make our forums process here easier for YOU? What would you like to see added that might add value or make things easier or save you time?
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~All truth goes through three phases. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident. - Arthur Schopenhauer ~
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Keiro
join:2005-10-25
Bakersfield, CA
kudos:1 | said by BHNtechXpert:Thank you Keiro. Your answers were a bit of an eye opener for me. It makes total sense why the deaf would find forums far easier (especially when you are in a good support forum). Over the years (many years) I have fielded my fair share of relay calls and they are extremely difficult and frustrating to say the least. The translation process and inherent delays make it very difficult to go through the process. Forums on the other hand allow you to be very specific without the risk of lost translation (or lack of understanding on the relay co part) and obviously the reverse for me. Your response has given me a great idea that I'll be working on next week...thank you again Great great feedback
Now it's your turn...I have a slightly different question for you.
How can I make our forums process here easier for YOU? What would you like to see added that might add value or make things easier or save you time?
SIPRelay's much more easier to use, but there's still a time-limit on responses.
I've found SIPRelay to be much more faster and reliable in getting accurate responses across, but from time to time, there'll be some confusion.
That aside... I'm now curious as to exactly what you're working on, and you're very welcome!
I would personally like to skip the troubleshooting steps, particularly if I've already done them (and pasted the results of said steps and/or described the results of said steps).
Most of the time, it's not an issue on my end, but when it's my end, I own up to it. (At least, I would if I didn't realize it was my end first already...)
Since I tend to typically get Business-class service, I'd like to at least be able to make clear that there's a policy in place for certain stuff. (ie, in the above original post I made, there's a videophone lurking about on my network that I use regularly, that should never, ever be disconnected, no matter the reason, unless it's a bad cable, or a bad modem, and the ports for said videophone should never, ever be closed.)
It'd be awesome if you could pass on that tidbit of info if I ever have to make a forum post requesting support from you or someone else here... to the technician.
That's what I'd like to see added when you send technicians out - the ability to inform the technician that hey, there's this $item that shouldn't be disconnected unless it's bad cable or modem.
Or for whatever other item that needs to stay in place, no matter what.
The other thing that I'd like to mention that makes it easier to keep track of stuff is to enable monitoring for certain devices that seem to be particularly aggravating. Or troublesome, due to various factors... like the weather, for example. Great way to keep track of when, specifically, said modem falls off the network. And for how long, particularly if, as mentioned here a few times, where the connection seems to mysteriously stabilize after a few hours. (That's the dew/water drying off...)
For example, I have a Nagios instance somewhere around here off-site monitoring the modem and notifying my cell phone if it drops off the network. Edit: It only notifies me if it's been off the network for more than 10 minutes. Just to clarify.
Any way we could get that sort of notification service? Perhaps as an add-on service for Biz customers?
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Wanderer of the Stars...
ShatteredTears NOC
Managing: ShatteredTears IRC
EidolonHost | |
BHNtechXpertBHN StaffPremium,VIP
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL
kudos:82 | It'd be awesome if you could pass on that tidbit of info if I ever have to make a forum post requesting support from you or someone else here... to the technician.
I have no problem with that but I'm a bit confused about your statement as far as the tech disconnecting things. Depending on the issue the tech will need to isolate problems and that from time to time will include removing devices sequentially. Otherwise the tech shouldn't be removing equipment without first talking to you. Can you give me an example?
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~All truth goes through three phases. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident. - Arthur Schopenhauer ~
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Keiro
join:2005-10-25
Bakersfield, CA
kudos:1 | said by BHNtechXpert:It'd be awesome if you could pass on that tidbit of info if I ever have to make a forum post requesting support from you or someone else here... to the technician.
I have no problem with that but I'm a bit confused about your statement as far as the tech disconnecting things. Depending on the issue the tech will need to isolate problems and that from time to time will include removing devices sequentially. Otherwise the tech shouldn't be removing equipment without first talking to you. Can you give me an example?
Sure. The videophone I use essentially uses the modem as a gateway, nothing more, nothing less. It does exactly one thing - video communications.
It's more or less a preference to not screw with the setup for video communications.
I haven't had an instance where a tech removed equipment I personally owned from the CPE end, but I've seen techs remove my former roommates' stuff to do troubleshooting.
Not that I mind, but I just hate having to put the setup back up the way it was, particularly if the tech or someone else not at our end decides to clear out settings in the modem/gateway if it's business class.
... And I've had more than one instance where I've specifically told them, "Keep these $ports open, after you clear out the settings please." and they don't do this.
Granted, this was more or less while I was still learning about SMC modems and just how horribly bad they are at being a transparent modem.
That reminds me. Do you guys use SMC modems for your business class customers? 
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Wanderer of the Stars...
ShatteredTears NOC
Managing: ShatteredTears IRC
EidolonHost | |
BHNtechXpertBHN StaffPremium,VIP
join:2006-02-16
Saint Petersburg, FL
kudos:82 | Granted, this was more or less while I was still learning about SMC modems and just how horribly bad they are at being a transparent modem.
That reminds me. Do you guys use SMC modems for your business class customers?
Got it and yes we still have some SMC modems out there for BC folks. To be honest with you they bridge just fine. I'm one of the rare residential folks that still have one right here and it performs flawlessly in bridge mode. The trick is...you can't bridge it yourself...we have to. If for any reason you do hard reset on that modem you kill the script that puts it into bridge mode and then someone from the office has to bridge the device again. Otherwise it performs flawlessly just as a modem when bridged.
The ONLY issue the SMC has and it only affects those of us with superfast routers is that the script takes time to run...before it's executed the modem is in DHCP mode and it will hand out an IP address to the router if the router is waiting. Sooo router gets its dynamic IP says oooh I'm happy and meanwhile the SMC switches to bridge mode leaving the router hanging and happy with a 192. and thus no connectivity to the outside world. The fix for this is a simple router reboot but I got a bit fancy with that and instead have a IP powe controller that simply polls a few sites and when it fails to connect autoboots the router. Problem solved...
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~All truth goes through three phases. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident. - Arthur Schopenhauer ~
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Keiro
join:2005-10-25
Bakersfield, CA
kudos:1 | said by BHNtechXpert:Granted, this was more or less while I was still learning about SMC modems and just how horribly bad they are at being a transparent modem.
That reminds me. Do you guys use SMC modems for your business class customers?
Got it and yes we still have some SMC modems out there for BC folks. To be honest with you they bridge just fine. I'm one of the rare residential folks that still have one right here and it performs flawlessly in bridge mode. The trick is...you can't bridge it yourself...we have to. If for any reason you do hard reset on that modem you kill the script that puts it into bridge mode and then someone from the office has to bridge the device again. Otherwise it performs flawlessly just as a modem when bridged.
The ONLY issue the SMC has and it only affects those of us with superfast routers is that the script takes time to run...before it's executed the modem is in DHCP mode and it will hand out an IP address to the router if the router is waiting. Sooo router gets its dynamic IP says oooh I'm happy and meanwhile the SMC switches to bridge mode leaving the router hanging and happy with a 192. and thus no connectivity to the outside world. The fix for this is a simple router reboot but I got a bit fancy with that and instead have a IP powe controller that simply polls a few sites and when it fails to connect autoboots the router. Problem solved...
Eh. The SMC doesn't do true bridge-mode... but I'll leave it at that.
The other thing I'd like to see improved is the guide you used to do... for having awesome service on Lightning. I recalled you did those guides, but for some reason you took them down.
I was saddened to see them go... I'd LOVE to see them brought back, particularly since we're going with ever-faster service.
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Wanderer of the Stars...
ShatteredTears NOC
Managing: ShatteredTears IRC
EidolonHost | |
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