Have you ever wondered how Eureka ever became a positive expression? To me, it sounds more like a proper expletive. No matter, it serves such a purpose for my thoughts on technology these days.
VOIP is a fantastic phone service that utilizes the internet to give you cheap local and long distance service. The only catch is that your internet must work. We haven't really run into any problems until these last few weeks. Some how lights are blinking on all the many devices but no one is talking. Something about the router and modem and cables and static and well. . .no phone. After a few calls to AT&T and "solving" the problem many times, we finally ran head long into the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.
All that prevented us between reconnection and the outside world was a password. Well not really a password, but the key answer to a secret question. Question, "What is your favorite restaurant?" I guess we don't really have a favorite because after guessing over 20 different restaurants we still didn't come up with the right one. The guy kept reminding me that divulging my secret answer would jeopardize his career. Fair. It's not his fault that my life doesn't revolve around one place to eat out. (or 20 others for that matter). I did remind him that these random password secret questions are much like the super expensive car keys that new cars all seem to need. To replace one of those bad boys, you are looking at about $200. But, I ask, how many times has you car been broken into and stolen vs how many times you lose your car keys? Who are we trying to keep out of our cars and likewise our accounts?
In the end, we decided to leave AT&T (rash I know, but really we were a bit underwhelmed and still internet-less) We signed up with Clear. A new and only real affordable option for internet in our area. I keep waiting for Verizon Fios to find us again, but I am not holding my breath. They have a 4G network and a reasonable price tag for super fast internet. Unfortunately, the tower, which is less then a mile from our house, doesn't have enough guts to support a wireless router which is essential for our phone. When I do use the phone, I sound more like a Robot or popcorn then a person.
After calling CLEAR and speaking with a very strange service representative, didn't find their company so CLEAR. She even suggested that we ditch the home phone option and go straight to cell phones exclusively. Tempting, but again, the loss cell phone vs lost home phone option is risky. And, if I ever get a babysitting someday, what would they use when we are out? No way I am leaving my iPhone with a teenager to have unlimited text and internet capacity.
Now our choice is to stick it out with the new guys "CLEAR" or crawl back to AT&T if we want any internet. These choices definitely Eureka!
3 comments:
Bwahaha! I'm telling you, Lubys.
The word brings memories of fish that was totally overcooked, flavorless and drowned in butter. Bleh.
One little question not to complicate things, but just to think about: What of a natural disaster when the cell phone lines are clogged, and your internet is down.
I didn't think about that until some friends who had been in the northridge earthquake told me about it. She said the land line was the only way anyone could get through.
Eureka indeed.
Wow, I didn't even understand Emily's first paragraph on the initial reading. Technology is our best and worst friend. Groveling is not fatal, nor is crawling back.
Tara Thai?
We ditched our home phone about 6 years ago, and have never, ever had a problem, and our babysitters always have their own cell phones. Just a thought.
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