When calling your cablemodem support and this happens... should I be worried or flattered?

[tempus-thales.livejournal.com]

The setup:

I just had to call my cable company as my cable Internet connection has been having a routing problem for past 18 hours or so (a 1-2 hour problem is normal.)

The problem:

I couldn't get TCP/IP connectivity outside of the cable company's backbone. Ping, TR, etc, everything failed as soon as it tried to leave their backbone. Tried servers that I know are local to my area, no go. I could even traceroute about 10-12 hops through their network to hit their public Web server. However, while ICMP traffic was fine, I would get no response when telnetting to #80 on the same server. It felt like I could send traffic out, but not receive.

The resolution:

Turns out, my modem's MAC address had fallen out of their system, and was possibly laying on the floor somewhere being trodden on by hapless network engineers. That, or it got loose and scurried off before anyone could catch it. It was as if my modem had been de-provisioned from their system--and their network wouldn't route my traffic beyond its boundaries. Fortunately the front-line rep was able to get my modem's MAC address tucked safely back into their system somewhere and eventually all was well.

The play-by-play (skip for the Cliff Notes(tm) effect):

My patience with the front-line rep saw me through the 3-4 rounds of being asked to reboot my [pc/router/modem/firewall/toaster] while I calmly reiterated that I did in fact have connectivity beyond the walls of my home. Explaining traceroutes and backbones made me feel like I was talking to one of my customers, but once the rep believed me, we were off to the races with the MAC address solution.

Once the MAC address was secured on their end, it appeared that my router wasn't getting an IP from their DHCP server. DHCP must be like kryptonite to the front-line because no sooner had I mentioned it (mostly to myself, no less) then I was asked to hold for a Tier II rep.

While being asked to unplug my modem again, I let the rep know I would in just a second, while I restarted my router to see if it would grab an IP this time. It worked fine then (just as if this had been a normal Internet-is-down problem at my house, instead of an actual Now-I-have-to-call-someone problem.) I kept talking to the rep for a few minutes anyway, just so they would feel like they did something (they didn't seem to be in any hurry.)

The question (yes, this is it):

The real question here is (finally!) when it turns out you seem to know significantly more about the Tier II rep's job than they do, should you be worried, or flattered?

Oh, you want an example?

Okay, this is just one:
Apparently the cable company blocks incoming connections on #80 to their public Web server. This is done for "security", although I was welcome to go to http://same-exact-server in my browser if I wanted. That I couldn't telnet to it during the previous 18 hours was normal. That I was able to telnet to that port once everything was resolved meant something must have changed recently on their end, which the rep found suprising.

Granted, the rep could've been confused or just misunderstanding me, but taken in context of the entire conversation, it didn't seem likely.

So, what about my question?

Comments

[200iso.livejournal.com]

let me guess, comcast?

My patience with the front-line rep saw me through the 3-4 rounds of being asked to reboot my [pc/router/modem/firewall/toaster] while I calmly reiterated that I did in fact have connectivity beyond the walls of my home.
typically they are following a script - well not a script per se, but a troubleshooting application. which they have to follow if they want a good preformance evaulation or whatever. these scripts tend to suck.

Exactly how I feel after talking to help desks

[marence.livejournal.com]

Both - worried about the level of service they provide, and flattered that you are a tech god.

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

The one time I've had to call about my cable modem the tech pretty much agreed with my assesment of the modem itself being fubared. Roadrunner is pretty sweet, I just took my modem down to the office a few blocks away and walked out with a new one.

The one time I ever called about a dialup account it took me half an hour to convince the guy that yes in fact the problem was on their end. The problem was, about 2/3's of the time I'd dial up I wouldn't get an IP and the connection would abort.

[achernow.livejournal.com]

Bit of a different experience w/ RR. I had a tech who kept insiting that I did something to the line which is what caused my cable modem to be down for 2 days (it ended up being down for close to 2 weeks) I tried to explain to them, I HADN'T TOUCHED ANYTHING. Turns out they were doing work in the area as I eventually ended up having a total cable outage as well (TV was still on when I called).

I also had them keep sending me to their "corporate" support, even though I was a home user because my account was through Marquette's discount program. (I guess they bought bulk access which they resold to students and faculty for a cheap as hell price)

-A

[docskurlock.livejournal.com]

I am frequently on the phone with Comcast, and just recently SBC's DSL. I agree with marence in this case. I absolutely hate tier 1 people and if I could, I'd find a nice deep canyon somewhere in the ocean and drop them all there.

[aragirn.livejournal.com]

Don't do this, because then the true idiots callers make it to level 2. I'm already screwed cuz I work the night shift and am the only one here, but I don't want to wish that on everyone I know that works tier 2 during the day.

[docskurlock.livejournal.com]

hhahaha, ok, I won't, I'll just imagine it like I do when I am on the phone to tier 1 next time.

[dysan27.livejournal.com]

[Bored and backreading]

Both scared and flattered.

Better then my friend. Diagnosing the problem, I think it was connectivity to specific sites, he figured out that it was a specific router in their net that needed to be rebooted(he had worked with that type before and knew the symptomes). Took 45 minutes for him to get a network tech on the phone who knew what he was talking about. At which point the conversation when as follows:

Him: The router with addresses xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx, yyy.yyy.yyy.yyy needs to be rebooted.
Tech: What? Let me check..... Well what do you know, Just give it a few minutes to come up. Thanks.
Him: Your welcome.
*click*