So today I go to one of my client's offices, to setup a quick VPN connection in this new office to their existing office (2 blocks away - don't ask, or you can if you're really dying to know). So I setup the VPN router, configure the still-in-the-box DSL modem and get a connection established. Of course, no connection. First I spend an hour and a half fighting with them until I find out they screwed up the MAC address that I provided them 3 times (twice on the phone, once through email), so I wasn't getting assigned an IP. Get that resolved. Internet connectivity (woo-hoo?).
Setup the tunnel between the offices. Connected, I'm starting to wrap it up while downloading a couple of quick updates from the primary server to one of the workstations. Error message - disconnected from resource. Hmm, maybe a glitch. Try again after restarting all components - 2 minutes of VPN uptime, then down. Back up again 5 minutes later, then down after 20 seconds. Up, down, up, down, down, down, down, up, up, down. I'm now there for over 4 hours, should have been done 2 hours ago (actually 3 1/2, if they hadn't screwed the MAC address). Internet connectivity is fine the whole time, so it is definitely a VPN issue. Try setting up a tunnel to another satellite office (for testing purposes), solid as a rock. Realize issue is only affecting the VPN connection going b/t these 2 offices that are 2 blocks away from each other. Call ISP, conveniently bypassing 3 tiers of front-line support BS in the process (good to keep a few contacts when you find people willing to help you in the past).
Explain details of the problem, I get told they don't support VPNs on their service. (Funny, I remember telling them what we were planning on using it for when I helped them provision the line 6 weeks ago. When asked to clarify their "no VPN" policy, as these are business-class DSL lines, they explain that they don't have the technical resources to aid customers on the phone with VPN configurations due to their complexity.) I explain that I'm not asking them to support me setting up a VPN on their Internet connection, that I'm quite capable of doing that by myself. I need to know why two offices that are less than 2 blocks away are incapable of talking to each other intermittently (mostly down, sometimes up). Back and forth, then told to email details to some guy who will "look into it". Then told "but no promises, as we don't really support VPNs".
Gee, thanks for telling me. 6 times in one conversation. I guess most of your customers don't use Q-Tips or something, or you just like beating that statement over their heads.
If they can't fix an obvious routing/equipment issue on their end, and don't even want to talk to me about it, what else can you do? Looks like I have a client who will be provisioning Roadrunner tomorrow, unless some miracle occurs.
Posted by Mark at May 1, 2003 10:48 PM | TrackBackDare I ask who the carrier was...
Posted by: Brian at May 2, 2003 10:34 PMI could tell you, but what would the fun be in that? Couldn't you pretty much insert any carrier's name in there and have it be (mostly) truthful?
Posted by: Mark at May 7, 2003 11:21 PM