Home routing

We have fibre internet to the building FTTB, and then from the basement uses the copper phone wires to the telephone plug where the router is plugged into. The router wirelessly distributes the signal to the apartment. TPG, the company we pay for the service doesn't use the National Broadband Network, NBN, fibre cable but has its own fibre cable in our street. 

Our download speed is supposed to be be 100 mb/s. It never has been but everything works fast and there never buffering. It normally sits between 75 mb/s and 90. 

Then it seemed a bit slow with occasional buffering. I checked the speed and it was down to about 50 mb/s. I checked a few times over the next days and it was much the same. I contacted TPG by lodging a complaint. A few days later I received a text asking what time would be convenient to take a telephone call and it was right then. I went over the situation with the person on the phone and he said he would raise the matter to a higher level, and when it would be a good time for an 'engineer' to call. I gave the times and he said it would be the afternoon, after 3pm. The call came at 5.45 and the higher qualified person said, I see your router is eight years old. I will send you a new one for free and that should help the speed.

About four days later the router arrived. We were hoping it would be white but it isn't. I can't complain, it being free. To say it was easy to set up would be a lie but eventually we got the desktop pc connected after many router restarts and a break in between for a bite to eat and coffee across the road. R asked if that was it? No dearest, the lounge room tv Fetch box needs to be connected, your bedroom Fetch box needs to be connected, our phones need to be connected, our tablets need to be connected and our 'fridge.

It was quite painless to connect everything else, except for R's bedroom Fetch box. The router would not show as being available. Fiddle fiddle, and we got it right. It took about two hours including the break to get everything connected, except we had forgotten something.

Come the evening R picked up his phone to turn the lounge and dining room lamps on, eight of them, with four phone buttons to use, and the lamps did not come on. Oh, I forgot, they are connected using wifi too. Another tech battle. You know, you set these things up years ago and you forget how it all works. With more arse than class, we got the power board to work and that gave us half of the lamps working. I am over this and it is time for a drink. Manana. I am teched out. 

While sitting on the balcony just before bed, clarity of thought hit my brain. Delete the other three connections, and start anew, but I was not doing it that night. Next morning, clear of head and fresh minded, I did exactly that and within a minute I had another lamp connected. I think the other two require moving furniture, so I'll wait for R to arise.

Once R rose about 9.30 and drank his coffee, he said he would help after showering. While he was showering, I realised only one piece of furniture needed moving and the other was getting into a strange position with some arm stretching. By the time he was out of the shower, the job was done. We had full lighting.

I never give up on making tech matters work. We were overthinking everything, and believe me there were so many obstacles that popped up but pretty well should have been ignored. I stepped back to get clarity of thought and things worked. This is the old router.    

And the new one. Exciting, hey.

Speed test using the new router? 98.6 mb/s. This really was first class service by TPG and it cost us nothing beyond some effort. When things aren't right, like not getting what you are paying for, you should complain and expect a satisfactory resolution. Complain I do, sometimes changing things, but not always. 

S'cuse I. Roasting pork is in the air fryer and I am so looking forward to it. I hear the electric carving knife in action. Time for dinner.