Wildcard: So much for switching to Earthlink as my new ISP

[Wildcard]

Well, after much debate I decided to pop the CD into the drive and fire up this "easy to install" application called Earthlink. Hey, it's free for 45 days, and as the ad says, "To sign up, just pop in the enclosed CD".

Wrong...

It won't let me get past the Registration Server. So, I call 3 different times to Tech Support, and even use my cell phone so we can go through the drill in real time. They can't figure out why I'm unable to register (gee guys, so am I!), and tell me to try again tomorrow. Now there's a good tekkie answer. It might work better in 24 hours.

While those that have, and are happy with Earthlink, I think I've not found a happy match here. As bad as PeoplePC is, at least I do eventually get on line, and at <$10 per month, I guess I should tolerate its moods.

[Punter]

Have you looked at broadband? For two green chips/month you can get either cable or sattelite. Once you try it you would never go back.

[Parker]

> Have you looked at broadband? For two green
> chips/month you can get either cable or
> sattelite. Once you try it you would never
> go back.

I use my Earthlink account only when on the road. At home I have a cable modem, and wouldn't dream of giving it up for anything.

The increased speed is awesome, and I am spared the hassle of dialing up, busy signals, getting disconnected, etc.

In addition, there are all sorts of little benefits from being constantly online. For example, a little icon on my desktop provides me with constantly updated weather reports, and my computer's clock is continuously being synchronized with the government's atomic clocks.

On a recent road trip I stayed at a hotel with broadband access in the rooms. This was fantastic, and hopefully will become more common, although it took a little fiddling around to get my Linux box to connect with the hotel DSL server.

[Wildcard]

> Have you looked at broadband? For two green
> chips/month you can get either cable or
> sattelite. Once you try it you would never
> go back.

Actually I haven't. By coincidence, I received an Earthlink CD in the mail from my insurer (USAA), and thought, hey, time to do this. They also provided for a 15% discount, but not a big deal.

So, I pop in the CD and can't get past the Registration Server to complete everything. I call 3 times to tech support, they can't get me to the server. I cancel the account.

My usage on the box is not that great, my wife uses this thing primarily to "talk" with Delta Airlines, swap trips, pickup trips, blah, blah. The rest is just browsing around like here...not sure if I can justify the $600 per year to be on in Superman time...but then again, perhaps the time has come to step up.

Thanks to you and Parker for the guidance.

Any advice on how to kill the friggin squirrel that has managed to get into my attic? This sucker did some gnawing this AM that sounded like a beaver on acid trying to beat the winter freeze. Kinda freaky to hear some rodent chew voraciously on your house! I yanked open a soffit vent, hopefully he's (she's) gone. Thought of a .22 with rat shot, but we'll see how it goes...if anyone has any solutions, I'm all ears.

Perhaps this is a task for the Titaniumman, this is a Georgia squirrel, he should know about this kinda stuff as he boasts of some kinda squirrel stew...maybe he can add this little critter to his pot.

Ah, the joys of home ownership!

[Jack Rabbit]

Obtain a Havahart type trap (or use a large rat trap). Bait it with peanut butter and check it in a few hours.

Better get him before he brings the family up!

By the way, for an ISP, I recommend Netzero (or Juno) for dial up access, but I also must say that once you get broadband you probably won't go back to dial up.

I pay 45 a month for a cable modem and love it.

[Wildcard]

> Obtain a Havahart type trap (or use a large
> rat trap). Bait it with peanut butter and
> check it in a few hours.

> Better get him before he brings the family
> up!

> By the way, for an ISP, I recommend Netzero
> (or Juno) for dial up access, but I also
> must say that once you get broadband you
> probably won't go back to dial up.

> I pay 45 a month for a cable modem and love
> it.

Well, it appears the squirrel has departed. I guess opening the soffit did the trick...lots of chewing went on where I opened it. Wish I'd just lowered it a little, and the few pounds of the squirrel wouldh've pushed it lower, telling me he did in fact get out. No gnawing today, so I'm hopeful.

Thanks for the advice on the trap, that was exactly my next step.

Will have to consider cable modem I guess...my current ISP does the trick albeit slowly sometimes, and I have no idea the bps of my connection.