AOL Services Down

[DerVVulfman]

Yep Yep. This past Sunday, I had returned home and intended to get online at 9pm EST so I could secretly snag any content for the Weekly Gazette before I made my presense known at 10. I do that by using a separate browser not logged in. Little did I know at the time that AOL was having more problems.

The new software which they sent out works with the newer operating systems as no modern PC, to their knowledge, would be logging in with Windows 3.1 or even Windows 98. The earlier internet provider software catered to an older architecture which was no longer used, hence the new system they began working with this January. And up until recently, there have been no problems at all.

This past Wednesday, my issue with AOL was that every line I attempted to connect claimed to be 'busy' like any other phone line. While it was still giving me that same 'busy' message through to 8am the next morning, it did correct itself by Thursday night. Unfortunately, AOL appeared to continue having problems.

Sunday night, I clicked on the AOL software entitled AOL Dialer. It started up asking for which AOL username I wished to use and what form of connection, all of this already using my default settings. Clicking the Sign On button, the screen began the dialing phase which proceeded quickly and normally. After that, the screen then went to phase two, saying I was connected and running at a fairly decent rate for a dialup modem (no laughs from the audience). However, it was here that the system delayed and ushered a message claiming that I could not connect to AOL and offered the Error Code encountered.

Now I'm a persistent werewolf. Besides my desktop system, I still have an older Windows 7 laptop with which I installed the new AOL software. Couple that with having two USB modems with which I can swap out, I already knew it was not a hardware issue, neither the PC nor USB modem. So at half past nine, I called AOL's help line and was put on hold for about thirty minutes.

What the heck... I was typing the Gazette during this time.

Eventually, I was greeted by... I hate to say this, but it sounded like 'Sam' from the Petty Pranks video "Windows Spamemr Calls a Thief". I described the issue, reporting the error message and how I tested my system, the modems, and informed him that there was no issue with the phone line as I was talking to him on the same said line. With all the knowledge at his fingertips, he suggested I uninstall the AOL software and re-install it to see if it eliminated the issue.

Yeah, that means he has no clue and I just had to try this, hang up, and hope I can connect after the reinstall. Of course, I had to aquiesse to his request. The issue was being recorded by AOL for quality assurances, and I was NOT going to let them forget.

After the doomed attempt at reconnecting with AOL using the reinstalled software, I was on hold with AOL yet again. And again, working on the gazette. However, I was on hold for only fifteen minutes this time. When the newer representative greeted me, I immediately informed him that I had been dealing with support not long before and the suggestion that he offered. I also supplied him with the details of my system and informed him of the error code, 718.

"Are you sure it isn't 618".

He sounded a bit flummoxed when I informed him I took a screenshot of the message and error code just so I could be as detailed as I was, and the error code was none that the phone support staff was familiar. Apparently, the process to uninstall and reinstall AOL is their 'Hail Mary' attempt.

The representative asked me for some details, including my secret 'hint' (which I hadn't changed in twenty years... oh, gawd. I got it right?), my username, and a telephone number in which to call me for an update. The representative had to contact his higher ups in Technical Support as the error code was an unknown. As to when they were to contact me, I knew that it was not going to be any time soon, so I suggested that they could give me an upate at 9:30am Monday morning.

So this morning, 9:30 had come and gone. I attempted to connect, and still had the error message I so loathed to see. Having things to do, I left for some time. When I returned, no message was on my phone, no display on the caller ID indicating if anyone wished to contact but left no message. At this point, I received nothing from AOL about the status of my connection.

But less than an hour ago, I tried to connect... and got online!

YAY! AOL got it up and running!!!

You coulda called....