Computers

My home internet woes finally seem to be over.

Several weeks ago we had need to replace our DSL modem and wireless router. I chose the Netgear DGN1000 modem/router as pictured on the left.

I’m not an I.T. expert but I certainly know my way around a computer. I’ve pulled computers apart and put them back together, helped friends with computer issues and can generally sort out many computer related issues that would cause most people to throw their hands up in despair. I say that because I want you to know that I know what I’m doing when it comes to setting up new hardware.

The Netgear initially piped fresh internet goodness down the line to our main computer and I thought life was good. That was until we opened up our secondary computer or other internet devices. The others would still get reasonable speeds but the main computer would all but freeze up. We kept getting IP conflict messages and a range of other internet related issues.

Doesn’t Free Mean Free?

I tried all kinds of scans and fixes but today I finally called the 24/7 free Netgear support line. After his initial garbled introduction, the guy helping me made a little more sense and we started working through the issue. He suggested a few changes to settings which I tried but ended up with the same issues. He told me that the issue was beyond his capability and so he would escalate the issue to a technician who could go a little further. He wished me a good day and then went on his way.

A couple of minutes later a new technician was on the line with an even more garbled introduction. Again, he thankfully slowed down enough for me to understand. He verified my identity and then I explained the issue again. Just as he was about to start providing help he said, “You are aware that this is a paid support service?” What? I told him that at no time had I been informed that I would have to pay for this support, that I had called the free support line and that I wouldn’t be paying anything for him to attempt to get a faulty product operating. I’m not in the habit of paying premium prices on gear that doesn’t work. I also resent free support lines that try to trick me into using a paid service. He understood my frustration and also wished me a good day.

Minutes later I was in the car heading to Dick Smith with the Netgear device on the seat beside me. I went into the store, found a D-Link DSL-2730B, paid the small difference between prices and headed home. After a very simple setup we now have working wireless internet on several devices around the house. I know that it’s early days but the signs are promising. No fuss, just working internet. That’s pretty much all I wanted in the first place.

I’m sure that Netgear products work well for many people but I’m certainly never going to buy anything from them again. I’m just pleased that I now have a D-Link product that lets me tell you this story without crashing my computer.