Love Hate Affair with Computer Internet

My Old Saddle by M. Mapes
 Hopefully I will be able to ride tomorrow.

I have spent 2-3 hours, some days more, each day trying to get a consistent  Internet connection,  I have called charter several times each day.  Some days after I got a real person the phone would quit.  Each agent would have me do different things.  Some worked temporarily.  One agent said I needed a new Ethernet controller in my computer.  Fifty dollars later it still did not work.  Made another trip to the computer repair.  He said nothing was wrong and showed that it worked perfectly-  At home I have black screens with error messages, conflicts and even mouse errors.  I changed every cord, mouse, etc. still nothing worked.  Had only screen, mouse and keyboard.  Still I might get on one time but next try it was gone.  Agents would reload connection etc. and it would work but next time black screen and dead modem.  The tenth agent said my modem had been black listed because it couldn't handle the fast net.  So he would send me one to install.  Simple he said sarcastically.  Well first it said windows had not tested the CD. and recommended not loading, then it asked for the Ethernet driver and quickly gave an error and spit the CD out.  It got stuck loading the new net modem drivers on the middle section said it would attempt to shut and restart the modem and it would take 60-90 seconds.  Thirty minutes and it was still grinding away.  I killed the computer.  moved cords, disconnected the net wires and started the computer, then plugged in the net stuff.  It worked for a short while then both telephone and net went out.  Finally the 12th agent after I said I was going to pay the $150 penalty for breaking the contract said he'd send out a tech to fix it.  The tech repairman arrived at 1:20 and thought he was finished at 4:16.  He replaced the outdoor lines first said they looked bad and should not be so close to the electric.  The wires were over 20 years old.  Still didn't work, Next he replaced wires into the house.  No net no phone.  next he messed with the new modem,  Said the power cord was outdated, though it was new,  He said they don't use them anymore.  Things seemed to be working.  While he was contacting the home base I tried the net.  Can't get on.  I ran out and luckily stopped him. He reloaded the router and the controller drivers.  Still nothing.  Did have phone.  He hooked phone and net in one box. completely did away with the NEW box.  Then he plugged the cord into the original Ethernet controller that came with the computer.  It worked.  Said it was fine and not to use the new $50 Ethernet that was never the problem!!  The computer was fine the wires were in poor shape and caused the inconsistent phone and net connection.  So I have had no time to paint and no way to ad new pics.