Subject: RE: (usr-tc) Support Contract survey

From: Steve Cobb <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 17 Feb 2000 20:59:42 +0000

Sorry about posting off topic but I can't seem to make a new post, just
reply???Anyway,,,

We are a new ISP and all our equipment (routers, USR TC) were installed by
our TELCO provider for warranty purposes.  However, I would like to learn as
much a possible about our equipment, specifically our TC chassis.  I don't
know what kind of cards we have, what revisions, etc.  This is all
information I would like to know.  Where can I get familiar with the
equipment I have?

Steve Cobb
Computer Geeks
[email-masked]
www.computer-geeks.com

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked]
[mailto:[email-masked]]On Behalf Of Mark Thornton
Sent: Wednesday, February 02, 2000 10:36 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: Re: (usr-tc) Support Contract survey

I may not have responded to your survey so I am doing so now...

We do not have support at this time and are very unlikely to do so at the
prices charged vs. service rendered. We get our support from vendors, and
access to software updates as a result of continuing purchases for
additional hardware (primarily DSP's). If support were affordable we would
purchase it tomorrow. I like living with a safety net, but I won't pay
outrageous prices for it. I also noted someone talked about a per incident
charge, but I was rejected at 3Com tech support some months ago if I
wouldn't buy the big contract on the spot. There was no offer for per
incident support. I use per incident support form Microsoft and find it to
be very effective, though I have tried per incident support for Linux and
other applications with less success. I think that is because of how long M$
has been doing it, the others will catch up very quickly. Per incident
support is easy money anyway. When the network is down, administrators
typically have an open checkbook to get the problem resolved. That same
checkbook is notoriously difficult to crack when things are working fine.

I don't understand why I can buy a support contract the lets me talk to the
support folks for a single price. Whether I have one or twenty chassis's,
I'm typically only going to ask a question once then apply it to all
chassis. The same is with the software upgrades. The 24 hour replacement
policy on hardware I can understand being a per chassis charge.

Mark Thornton
San Marcos Internet, Inc.
512-393-5300

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From: Kevin Benton <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2000 17:04:24 +0000

Ummmmm...  Dumb question - who is providing the warranty?  If the telco
is, that's one thing (and I never trust telco warranties).  If it's not,
then all they've done is made life more difficult for you in the long term
if they're not training you at all.  They're making you continue to rely
on them for what you need which is very lucrative for them.  3Com does not
require a telco to install and/or maintain your hardware in order to have
warranty support.  If I were you, I would get in contact with your 3Com
sales rep to find out about Total Control training and then have the telco
leave you and your chassis alone.  I would do the same for your routers.
Our ILECs are notorious for making things difficult for customers who want
to know what's going on but just haven't had a chance to learn yet.  Our
CLECs, on the other hand, are  often very helpful.  (ILEC = incumbent
local exchange carrier, CLEC = competitive LEC)

Kevin Benton
Network Administrator
SOTANet LLC, A Voyager.net Company

On Wed, 2 Feb 2000, Steve Cobb wrote:

> Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 11:48:35 -0500
> From: Steve Cobb <[email-masked]>
> Reply-To: [email-masked]
> Subject: RE: (usr-tc) Support Contract survey
> 

E-Mail:  [email-masked]
Web:     http://users.sota-oh.com/~s1kevin/
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