CABLE WOES

My cable and internet service provider is Comcast and over the past year I have had nothing but problems with various aspects of my service/equipment...

First it was the constant disconnection of the internet. We have one PC connected to the modem, a wireless device connected to the modem, and I use my laptop which connects via the wireless modem device. It seemed every week there was connection issues and finally it came down to just having a bad modem; apparently it was a used one and we were offered a newer model by the tech. It has been right as rain since...the internet anyway.

The cable service? Not so much...

I don't know if it is standard with these cable boxes, but if they are unplugged for a length of time they have to be remotely reset, and more often than not a tech must come out to check the box and reestablish connectivity. I should know, they are nearly on a first name basis here with me.

The real issues started when we realized that we were being charged for a DVR/HD box as part of our subscription service...I didn't know much about using a DVR and as far as HD, having an HD t.v. I tried to view the HD channels but all I got was sound. HD sound I guess...and I repeatedly pressed the DVR button on my remote with no luck.

So I call tech support, and they tried this and that over the phone...stumped...then we checked the box numbers and found the issue. We did not have a DVR/HD box in the house, but according to Comcast we did, and were being charged. Bummer.

I disconnected the box and took it in to trade for what I needed and had been paying for. For sure, it was a shiny silver box...took it home, hooked it up...booo, nothing...call tech support...nothing...had to schedule a service visit.

Come to find out too, the lady at the shop hadn't input the correct box number, so it wasn't making the connection. I feel like someone out there was watching my channels then. Damn them.

The tech guy was really helpful, I was pleased with his service and help. He checked the outside lines and connections, as well as inside. We have multiple splits, some in use, some not, and he explained that the splits cause "bleeds" in the service feeds, and he showed that we were supposed to be getting "x" amount of cable power and were not. He also divulged that it was a recurring issues with neighbors, part our fault for the splits, part the cable providers because there were issues with the outside boxes that he was resolving. So he cleaned up our lines, cosing off useless lines and reconnecting the multiple lines we wanted for use in various rooms of the house.

Hooray for cable, and HD, and DVR!

All was good in cable land for a time...until we decided to move things around in various rooms and disconnect boxes for a new t.v. or switching out a t.v. from one room to the other. Again we lost the connection, the folks on the other end of the phone tried their magic, but no...a tech must come out again. At least we were not charged for them to come out, that would have been a whole other story, believe you me.

Well here I am today...times are a little rough and we are trying to cut down costs. We have taken back the DVR box and scaled down our cable subscription. Having disconnected boxes and reconnected boxes...you can see where this is going.

Still waiting on the tech guy to come by this morning. No Robin Meade and my morning dose of HLN today.