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August 6, 2006

internet

Mac Comcast support puts the “#@%#$” in “#@%#$ing Comcast”

Posted Aug. 6, ’06, 8:47 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Internet

ComcastI spent a while this morning trying to get the Internet in my new apartment set up. While a lot of my problems had to do with my wireless router being funky, I have to admit, I was less than thrilled with Comcast’s packaged procedures.

Upon hooking up my computer to my router, I was presented with a default web page that told me to download Comcast’s installer. Fine, I thought, no problem. I downloaded it and launched it up thinking, hey, it’s nice that they at least acknowledge Macs, right?

Well, sort of. The first thing you’ll see is a dialog box explaining that the Comcast Installer needs to install Internet Explorer. That in and of itself was enough to give me pause. Microsoft doesn’t even support IE for Mac any more. And, let’s be frank, anything IE can do Safari, Camino, and Firefox can do better. Strike one, Comcast. But hey, I thought, I just want to get this set up. I’ll delete IE later. So I let it do its thing; it opened up IE and launched their installation process. All went fine until it told me it was going to prompt me for my administrative password. Why, Comcast, why exactly do you need my admin password? I tried to console myself again that I could undo the damage later—just get the Internet working. So I typed in my password in the OS X dialog box that came up. IE restarts and Comcast presents me with a page, explaining that the password I’ve entered is incorrect.

Um. Huh? I test it out to be sure, but I’ve definitely typed it right. I try typing something else in the OS X dialog box but OS X immediately tells me it’s wrong. So I type it again very slowly. Comcast doesn’t take it. Strike two.

I try to open the installation procedure in Safari but it fails because it’s dependent on some plug-in. I try to install the plug-in for Safari with no success. So I switch over to my PC. After failing to be able to even download the installation software, I snag my roommate’s install CD, which politely informs me that my PC has no network adapter, despite the Ethernet cable plugged into it. Strike three.

At this point I imagine a cartoon of myself regarding my computer, both of us with thought bubbles over our head thinking “Geez, what a maroon.” I was forced to resort to calling up Comcast, where a very nice lady got my connection up and running in about five minutes with no wrangling necessary. I wonder if their Mac guys are locked in a room somewhere, unaware that it’s 2006.


6 Comments

macnuke said:

heh, I feel your pain.

a poster elsewhere just got rid of Comcast. now her Safari reverts to Comcast's homepage whenever she reboots.
haven't been there myself.. I hope it's pretty.

August 6, 2006 8:52 AM
Justin said:

I was in the same boat. However I was a bit more in luck since the comcast guy was their putting in the cable so he just called from his phone after I explained to him that his install CD wouldnt work.

August 6, 2006 9:34 AM
hanineal said:

I just spent a week trying to stop my Comcast connection from grinding to a halt, before I gave up on their DNS servers and typed in a SpeakEasy server. Problem solved. Comcast support had no clue.

August 6, 2006 10:15 AM
dolphinbuddy said:

I have never heard of a Mac customer installing Comcast without having to call them. A lot of brand new mac owners don't even have a copy of IE, and they obviously can't download it until they get the internet working. Have any of you Mac owners out there been successful with a Comcast self-install kit?

August 6, 2006 2:37 PM
Derik Author Profile Page said:

I went through this last year when I got my place. I ended up using the Classic installer to get it done. Pathetic really.

Charter simply redirects you to a web page for setup. Simple and easy.

August 6, 2006 4:57 PM
rob s said:

Just got Comcast for internet only. Using Airport Extreme. Didn't have to install anything. Haven't had a problem yet.

August 7, 2006 3:53 AM

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