AT&T U-Verse Internet not activating correctly

[tr_canada]

I was told a couple of years ago that the area I live in was not eligible for AT&T U-Verse Television but I did order and receive their DSL service.

Now, when I call to reorder the DSL service from AT&T, I am told that the regular DSL is not available where I live anymore and that AT&T U-Verse Internet is available.  First of all, I am confused because how can I get U-Verse Internet and not U-Verse Television?

Although I remained skeptical, I ordered the U-Verse Internet.  Lo and behold, the day it is supposed to activate, it does not work.  I receive an e-mail saying my service is activated but the DSL light on the modem sent to me by AT&T is blinking red and stays that way.  The only lights that turn solid green are the power and ethernet.  The activity and internet lights never come on.

I called AT&T Technical Support and they tried to help but said they could not even see my modem in their system.  They said that even if the modem is not working, it should still register in their system.  Consequently, they are sending a tech out today.

How come I have a funny feeling that I am going to be told that U-Verse Internet is not available where I live or that something is wrong with the wiring in the apartments where I stay?  The wall jack where the modem is plugged works because I was using that phone to talk to the techs.  By the way, I have a cordless phone plugged there which was not a problem when I had the regular DSL internet a couple of years ago.

Should I try plugging the green wire straight into the phone jack?  By the way, I switched my phone service to AT&T at the same time I ordered the U-Verse internet.  Do I have U-Verse voice also or just regular phone service?  I don't know...but then again, I don't know why I will be getting two separate bills and why I have to register on AT&T's site two separate times:  once for phone and again for U-Verse internet.  It gets confusing.

[JefferMC ACE - Wizard · Accepted solution]

There are multiple possibilities here:

1) They have expanded the availability of U-verse service since your first inquiry by deploying additional VRAD or by the improved VSDL2 technology

2) They've started allowing U-verse HSI only subscribers who don't need the older, higher, minimum bandwidth for TV.

3) You now qualify via a pair-bonded install, but that would require a tech visit

4) They have started rolling out the newer ADSL2+ HSI in your area, which is branded by AT&T as "U-verse" HSI but otherwise has nothing in common with what everyone knows as "U-verse."

#4 is the most likely, but I'd have to know the model of the equipment your were sent, etc. to confirm that.

In any case, AT&T is a huge collection of independant fiefdoms and outside contractors who sometimes amaze us with the ability to get so much right and simultaneously be able to fail so badly at what would seem to be the simplest task.

Hang in there.  Let us know how it's going, and maybe we can help you with some useful information.

[sprinke]

---

JefferMC wrote:

In any case, AT&T is a huge collection of independant fiefdoms and outside contractors who sometimes amaze us with the ability to get so much right and simultaneously be able to fail so badly at what would seem to be the simplest task.

---

Love this.