How we were left without

How we were left without
December 1 - 23, 2001
on how the safest connection to the web is the one that is not.

Attentive readers certainly did not overlook our problematic operation of our hroch.net domain in December. I will describe here how it all happened - so you know that telecomunism has impacted even famous Silicon Valley with it full might:

November 30, 2001, 11:00 p.m.
Sid is telling me that in Redwood City, CA, a court case is pending between AT&T, who owns the cable and cable modem that connects us to the net, and Excite@Home Corporations, who manages servers, routers, and other virtual accessories. I reckon that the hour is too late to cry havoc -- bad news is Sid's specialty, and if he does not discover at least one proof of the end of our civilization daily, I tend to fear for his health -- I simply recognize this news, too, as one of Sid's scarecrows and go to bed in cold blood.

December 1, 2001, 10:00 a.m.
Half asleep, I take my first morning coffee to the computer. I discover that the internet is down. I call on Sid -- and he, too, announces exitus totalus.

December 1, 2001, 2:00 p.m.
Phone rings. A smooth voice on the other end of the line is telling me, that due to technical difficulties our internet connection may be disrupted (thanks a lot, we noticed, did we not?) and steps are being taken to restore our connectivity, while appreciating our understanding as well as patience. We would be notified within next week with an update of the situation. All that is just a recording, so I swallow harsh words and channel my tension into hanging up forcefully.

December 3, 2001
Internet WORKS again - one way only, though (we receive e-mail and we can browse to our server, but we can't see anything else)

December 8, 2001
Sid spends the whole weekend jumping around our server. In the evening, we can see out now, hooray!!!!

December 9, 2001
Our joy was premature -- we still can browse, but IN TURN, there is no incoming e-mail, and nobody can route to our website. Sid is practically attached to the phone, waiting for AT&T customer service. After one hour of listening to upbeat music, his position in the queue improves from 1,047 to 886. Hangs up.

December 10, 2001
News emerge on the internet, about a new wonderful AT&T service. The wonder consist of a setup, which blocks routing to any private domains (like hroch.net), hence no-one can send you e-mail, and so you can stop worrying about receiving a virus!!!!! No-one can browse on your server, either, hence AT&T customers may fee much SAFER now. Indeed, once you're locked up at a concentration camp, you can relax and drop worries about batteries in your burglar alarm system in your former house...

December 14, 2001
It's been two weeks since I started with the hassle of logging on to hotmail. It takes only a little more time and is a little less convenient than doing e-mail through our own server, but, as a reward, I get to read all those funny spams -- Viagra discreetly, I'm here just for you, honey etc.

December 20, 2001
Sid goes through a mildly paranoid chat with an AT&T representative. He's got a simple question: AT&T assigned us "kindly" some new e-mail login name and password, which is required to access their services. So he would like, being a simple-minded person, to get to KNOW this name and password. The lady on the other side tells him that he can change his password on their website. Sid informs her again, that while not knowing the name/password, he cannot access said page. The lady tells him, that he can get there once he logs in. Sid insists that he never received any name or password etc. The lady consents to supply the login name and the password, and for that, she requires Sid to tell her the password. Eventually she gets it and informs him that his login name is Beetle and his password is SoggyBottom24. Sid ask her if she is sure for he always uses his real name (Sid Paral) and certainly would not pick SoggyBottom24. Oops. Lady discovers that she just gave him a login name and a password of some other customer. Well, there's nothing like professional customer support

December 22, 2001
Sid is trying to find out whether AT&T considers offering a "business grade" cable modem connection, which would support server routing. AT&T turns the other cheek -- they apologize but they don't offer such thing at this time and don't know it they ever would. We start negotiations with Pacific Bell (telephone lines), if and under which conditions they would be willing to install "diesel" - DSL. PacBell looks friendly and is professional (Sid claims that the lady he talked to even knew what IP address and router are).

December 23, 2001
AOL (America On Line), another larger internet provider, announces happily that they are improving their customer service by a new, automatic feature. Yes, you've guessed correctly -- they, too, begin to block routing to private home servers. We feel "safer" with every new day.

December 26, 2001
During last three days, my hotmail address received 16 (sixteen) offers of the type:
Warning - free hardcore adult sites
Ladies, these studs are really hung
I'm your xmas present - unwrap me
L@@k! Nekkid college girls! For free!
Amidst this flood, I have a real hard time finding mails from "normal" people.
Awaiting January 3, for PacBell experts are scheduled to arrive and install the only other available alternative connection (now that both AT&T and AOL offer only "safe" internet).

December 27, 2001, somewhat later... I am exploring hotmail options and find a way to get rid of spam. Am I not a genius? Sid calls to tell me that our internet is working again. He says they "unplugged" something, so we get routed again. We will see.
If you're reading this on the net now, must have wished us luck, and your wishes were heard, and I thank you all.

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