Hi Friends,
I am here to narrate my story so far with BSNL DATAONE...
I applied for the connection by physically submitting the application on 7th May 05 and was assured that I would get a confirmation call very soon. At least that didn’t happen in my case... I waited for a week, 2 weeks and then gave call to the customer care. They could not find my application. On May 28th I went to the local office to enquire, to my surprise they told that there system shows that I had applied only on 24th May... (Never the less at least now shows....sigh). The gentleman there told me that though its not on his list for the day, he would add for that days work, I felt lucky.... He asked me if I was the user who would be accessing internet. I promptly nodded yes. He then handed over the modem and its accessories to me. He also showed me the settings on the test computer in the office and asked me if I had NIC card. I told him yes, but it wasn’t installed. However, I told him that it would not take more than 5 minutes for me to connect the NIC card and install the drivers. For that he told me to home with the ADSL Modem and get the NIC card up, he would come later when that’s done.
Back at home after installation the NIC card, I waited for the gentleman to arrive. He didn’t, so I called up him mobile number and asked when he would come. Instead of answering my question, he asked me to go ahead with the configuration settings as he had shown me at the BSNL office (Though I had selected the option in the application for BSNL to come and do an on-site installation). Anyways, first few attempts failed, since that day being a Saturday I knew for sure that the BSNL guy wouldn’t come over till Monday. But I was getting impatient; it’s like keeping the pie in hand and not able to eat it either. You guys can imagine!!!!!
Well, I called up the customer care and asked him to help me with configuring it. But to my surprise the guy asked me to open Outlook and went ahead with the steps to configure POP3 account. Since I also need assistance on that but that was next on the agenda. But I followed it and POP3 was configured. After that I politely reminded the guy that my original concern was about not being able to get online and need assistance with that. Then he put me on hold and came back to say the same steps that I was suggested earlier. I repeated the steps which I had already completed to the customer representative. To that he said, in that case an onsite engineer needs to come and check….
But Monday being a long time for me to wait, I removed all the setting and reconfigured it for once or twice again. To my surprise it worked and I was happy with the speed. But I had wasted Rs. 500/- (which is for them to come and install) that I am charged for the installation which ultimately I did on my own.
Anyways since then I have no issues with the connectivity, speed is pretty good and download speed is great as well. So I consider it just as teething problems and would like to say that it’s a “Everything is good so far, they just don’t know to support it and handle it”. Coz most of them don’t know about it...Get the support personnel trained on it and then put them to support others……………
One more last thing I would like to add is that though I had purchased BSNL modem by paying 2000/- rupees which they have charged me in the bill, yet in the bill I also see that they have charged me 1000 rupees as rental for the same modem. I need to get this clarified with them.