re iinet support and Linux; was Re: [plug] FAQ - alpha release

[Bret Busby]

Dave T Burbidge wrote:
> 
> <snip>
> Greetings!
> 
> Umm ... is iiNet Linux friendly? OK, so I can log in, but one time I
> couldn't connect, I rang the help-line, and they wouldn't help me 'cause
> I was using a linux box ...

I have never had that response. I have got some real twits, sometimes
("There is not a problem here with our mail servers, because my screen
does not say there is a problem", and other such rubbish, then, phoning
back later, shows that there had been a problem with their mail servers,
that lasted for a couple of hours; they just forgot to put something in
the support person's skull, to occupy the space after the lobotomy). I
have learnt that it pays to ask to get put through to advanced support
(although I still have a problem that has remained unsolved, after a few
weeks, that they have not been able to solve, regarding mail). I have
had to wait about half an hour, on average, to get through to advanced
support (half an hour of ads on the hold line!). But, generally, they
have been helpful, regarding Linux. I have found that, if I mention that
we go through a Linux frirewall/gateway, here on our LAN, if that may be
involved, they generally say "Hold on while I put you through to a
person that knows Linux", and, from there, it goes okay, apart from the
wait.

The main problem, is the majority of their first line of support, from
my experience, being mindless gits, but, as someone else has said, about
the even more mindless users ("that slide out coffee mug holder broke
off, when I put my pint mug of beer on it..."), maybe the stupidity is
contagious, even over telephone networks (if computer viruses can be
transmitted over telephone lines, why not illnesses, like chronic
stupidity).

> once I swapped the modem across to the 95
> box and proved that wouldn't happen either, they passed me onto the
> expert section (so they soon picked I knew what I was talking about :)
> ... it turned out to be a Telstra problem ...

We had a connection problem, at one stage; connecting at a particular
time each day, meant that we could not sustain a connection for more
than a minute or two, and their support person (from advanced support,
from memory), advised me of a number of steps; firstly to contact
telecom, to get a mould test, and some other things run on the line; and
that all got it fixed. It ended up that telecom had, unknown to us,
changed our exchange type, and, inflicted call waiting on us. That got
excised, and the problem disappeared.

I think the basic problem with iinet support, is the lack of standards;
one day you get a person who knows what a computer is, and what Linux
is, the next day, you get a person who is still learning to count on its
fingers.

Aside - iinet could, as I have previously suggested on the list, about
other ISP's and websites, include on their home page, "Powered by
Linux", "Apache webserver", etc... well, maybe.

-- 

Bret Busby

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"So once you do know what the question actually is, you'll know what the
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