Archive for June, 2010

Comcast Hates Us

Fix – Broken Internet Connnection After telling Comcast You Have a Router

3

Comcast Hates Us

UPDATE 6/3/2010:  I was really mad when I wrote this post.  However, since everyone has bad days – and since a comcast level one tech has looked into the records – I’m going to remove the CSR’s name.  Comcast didn’t ask me to remove the name, but I decided that I wasn’t after a personal shaming.  We all mess up.

I’ve organized this post into the fix and the rant.  As the fix is more important, I list it first.

FIX:

Problem:  Comcast was adjusting my speed because I requested an upgrade to 6-12 Megabit speeds.  I admitted having a router.  The chat representative ([REDACTED] – You’ve been warned of the name), requested that I power cycle my equipment including my computer and gave me a link to get back to chat with her.  I power cycle all my equipment and I can’t get back on the internet.  Guess that link she gave me isn’t going to be useful.

Fix:  Pick another computer on the network and log into the router.  Tell the router to use the MAC address of that computer.

Why:  She banned my MAC address of my router.  I could plug in with another computer directly into the modem, but my router MAC address (which was spoofing another computer’s address) had been banned.  She didn’t want me back on the internet.  You would think that a comcast representative would just have the decency to say that they don’t support the router and that they would wait for me to plug in directly or not help.  But a ban without telling me?  That’s just mean, shady and angers me.  When there’s a viable alternative, consider me gone – comcast.

RANT: I hate comcast.  Everytime I deal with them, I feel like they are sneaking around.  This time, I’m angry.  Unfortunately, they are less incompetent than our DSL line provider worse (Qwest).  So which is worse?

  1. Being lied to or told half-truths, but being able to circumvent their stupidity because I have enough technical knowledge to figure out what they’ve done? (Comcast)
  2. Being unable to access the internet because they’ve screwed something up on their part of my line, but they’re honest with me?  (Qwest)

I guess I’ll take option 1 and hate it.  I believe in honesty, but it doesn’t get the job done to admit the job is not done.  On the other hand, I hate giving business to someone who doesn’t do business in a straightforward fashion.  I can’t wait for Utopia (the new fiber provider) to reach me.  Then goodbye comcast.

–Ben

Sources:  Assinine Comcast Chatroom Help

parallels logo

Fix – Mac OS X – Windows Offline Files in Parallels is Networking Issue

0

parallels logoWindowsI just fixed parallels to work better on a domain we have at work.  From what I can tell, parallels uses a sort-of stealth mode by default that makes it look like all traffic is to Mac OS X.  This may not work well, if you’re using offline files.  Here’s what I did

  • Go to the Networking settings in parallels
  • Use Bridged (Default) mode

With bridged mode, it will appear as if you have two computers connecting to the network on your Mac.  All traffic will be given to Mac OS X and Windows.  This is the setting that worked for us at work.

Note that when you connect the Mac to the network, it may take a little bit for Windows to discover the network.

IMORTANT NOTE:  Adjust your networking settings on the mac (wireless, etc).  Let windows discover the network itself.  If you’re still having problems, turn off the wireless networking if you’re connected to the wired network.

While you’re at it … increase the number of processors and memory available to the “Guest OS” of windows.  You’ll have to shut down the windows guest os to do so.  It’s totally worth it.  Just don’t give it more memory that you actually have.  In fact, I would drop the memory available by 1/2 a gig.

–Ben

Sources:  Personal Frustration and Messing Around.

Go to Top