I spent my day spent changing routers so we are now using mobile wifi. In some ways, we are much better off by having faster internet speeds, but there is a downside too – we have now lost our ability to use Mail (Apple) so no emails.
GIVE ME STRENGTH!
So, I have no words and I feel like taking up smoking again – I gave up in 1993.
(photos from yesterday – taken with the big camera, which I lugged over to the old horses and ponies’ new field.)
My wifi/broadband ordeal continues. Part the Two now it is Monday. I spent most of my morning talking to BT, who were actually incredibly helpful so a big thank you to Dylan who did his absolute best for me and completely understood my predicament, though by the end he did go into Full Sales Pitch mode which I found a little unnecessary.
So, afterwards, feeling a huge need for some fresh air and sanity, I took the dogs out for a walk over in my little 5 acre croft, Clothie.
I wanted to see the state of the grazing as I will be putting the old horses and ponies in there soon for as much of their winter as I can.
The grass was looking very good but amongst it were a good variety of toadstools, which I decided to identify to see if any were edible.
The short answer is no! The whole lot are murderous but they do have some great names.
Anyway, I learned a lot today – not just about broadband and mobile phone packages.
Back home and the ponies were waiting for me.
I kissed a few noses and filled up their water (they do get through it so obviously haven’t found the stream in the corner of the field). This was my sanity.
After lunch, I started all over again with Plusnet (my broadband provider), who again were remarkably helpful and I think I have changed over to wifi mobile broadband but, knowing me, I may have got in a muddle and just made things twice as expensive! I am easily talked into things, I think.
Our broadband is hopeless, I mean seriously hopeless with no chance of it ever getting better. No fast fibre or fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) for us. Just a humble 1950’s copper wire snail meandering along very, very slowly.
A few years’ back, we did have a quote for a fibre connection and, I jest you not, the quote was nearly £1,000,000 but the best bit was when they asked us, in all seriousness, when we would like them to start the work!
We did raise this all with our MP and MSP but, despite their best and most valiant efforts, we were told the situation is never going to change.
Last night, I got more than a bit anxious looking at our landline phone bill (£40 per month for mostly spamming calls) and broadband provider (£25 per month for feeding the snail). I realised enough is enough and this was a complete waste of money – we need something better.
So, this morning, after feeding everyone and being very grateful that the storm has finally abated….
…… I grabbed my laptop and went into my shed to create a spreadsheet of all our options so I could see for myself at a glance who is offering what.
I was going quite well, when OH arrived to take the dogs for a walk and Monster wandered up the shed track.
I tried to ignore him but the whining outside only got more persistent and louder.
There was a lot of wandering around an already full table. I was working with two laptops.
Monster was not helpful.
But finally we reached an arrangement which worked for all of us and I went on working out what were the best options in our set-up. I think my conclusion is that I need to do a lot of phoning on Monday and then make a momentous decision to change everything, with the help of Monster, obviously.
