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After some hunting around and a bit of testing, I've concluded that we have a 386 laptop to give ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rysmiel and papersky. We also have a 486, but not if I fly up there, because the battery is completely incapable of holding a charge, so the machine might not pass airport security. (Amtrak doesn't care about such things.) Also, a machine that has to be reminded of the existence of its hard drive, and that it's not January 1990, every time it's unplugged, is suboptimal.)
Today, we replaced the old printer/scanner/fax machine with a just plain scanner ($30 after rebate). We thus discovered that we'd flubbed the testing a few weeks ago, and do not have a dial tone on the data line.
Verizon support did some kind of test from their end, agreed that there might be a problem with the line, and started quoting me charges for a technician's visit. Now, right here on my phone bill, which I'd pulled out to find their number, it says that I'm paying $3.50/month for wire maintenance, precisely so I shouldn't be charged if this happens. Best guess on that aspect is that they somehow didn't record that this applies to both lines (which are billed as a single account).
However,cattitude doesn't think a problem with our inside lines is likely, because that's the line the DSL is on, and the DSL is working just fine. More likely, there's something wrong in their records such that they aren't providing a dial tone on the data line.
Either of these hypotheses leads to me calling customer service, which isn't open on weekends. The repair department takes calls 24 hours a day, every day; customer service and billing don't. This is reasonable, especially as they start at 8 a.m.
We dealt with the immediate problem--that I had faxes to send--by plugging the fax machine into our main phone number long enough to use it, then swapped the lines back to their usual configuration. I'm not sorry to have replaced the old fax machine with one that will allow me to receive and print faxes, not just send them. Not at that price, anyhow.
rysmiel and papersky. We also have a 486, but not if I fly up there, because the battery is completely incapable of holding a charge, so the machine might not pass airport security. (Amtrak doesn't care about such things.) Also, a machine that has to be reminded of the existence of its hard drive, and that it's not January 1990, every time it's unplugged, is suboptimal.)Today, we replaced the old printer/scanner/fax machine with a just plain scanner ($30 after rebate). We thus discovered that we'd flubbed the testing a few weeks ago, and do not have a dial tone on the data line.
Verizon support did some kind of test from their end, agreed that there might be a problem with the line, and started quoting me charges for a technician's visit. Now, right here on my phone bill, which I'd pulled out to find their number, it says that I'm paying $3.50/month for wire maintenance, precisely so I shouldn't be charged if this happens. Best guess on that aspect is that they somehow didn't record that this applies to both lines (which are billed as a single account).
However,
cattitude doesn't think a problem with our inside lines is likely, because that's the line the DSL is on, and the DSL is working just fine. More likely, there's something wrong in their records such that they aren't providing a dial tone on the data line.Either of these hypotheses leads to me calling customer service, which isn't open on weekends. The repair department takes calls 24 hours a day, every day; customer service and billing don't. This is reasonable, especially as they start at 8 a.m.
We dealt with the immediate problem--that I had faxes to send--by plugging the fax machine into our main phone number long enough to use it, then swapped the lines back to their usual configuration. I'm not sorry to have replaced the old fax machine with one that will allow me to receive and print faxes, not just send them. Not at that price, anyhow.
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