DanG BloG: yet another DanG BloG

So, in order for me to grouse about my particular latest experience with tech support, I must first confess my work-from-home setup:

1. a home
2. SBC DSL connect to #1
3. various computers attached to #2 with an eye toward trying to stave off the virus-of-the-hour by running Linux and/or Solaris and/or something other than Windows.
4. A desire to spend "spare time" doing something besides computer admin

I was trying to display a remote X11 installer app to my home system. It's worked before. For some reason, it didn't work today. OK, with #4 firmly in hand, what the heck's going on?

• #2 provided me a little 2Wire gateway, which has a built-in firewall, etc.
• double-check there is indeed an entry in the firewall for X Windows / X11, yup, still there, check...
• double-check that the other than Windows desktop has X11 running and is authorizing the remote system to display locally, check...
• try to run again, and... no joy in Mudville, mighty X11 has struck out

So, time to find out how many levels of tech support this might cost me....

• login to #2's 24x7 help chat, which today only seems to want to work with Internet Explorer. Eeewww.
• #2 tech support advises to either login to 2Wire or call up SBC DSL Support line (thought that's where I was???) so, on to the next level
• SBC DSL Support has a nice enough young lady, to whom I was routed because I chose Macintosh SBC DSL tech support instead of Windows SBC DSL tech support (it was an either/or, there was no "or if you don't think your issue is related to your desktop at all but rather your DSL modem's karma rating" option)
• I had to explain several times, that, no, "X11 / X Windows" doesn't mean I should call the Windows SBC DSL tech support instead of the Macintosh SBC DSL tech support, but rather, this is DSL Modem Firewall question
• after about 45 minutes of her dissappearing to check with a supervisor (total time invested, about 90 minutes thus far), I get that I need to talk to firewall tech support, so please call 415-633-5400 (huh? No 800 number? Hmm...)
• upon using my corporate calling card (this was work related, after all), I'm informed that the number I'm dialing is unavailable, please hold to speak with a specialist (What? A specialist in explaining why I can't use my corporate calling card? OK...)
• the corporate calling card specialist eventually intimates that the number above is a restricted number, and where was I calling to, and what was it about? ("Well, gosh, 415-***-**** would seem to be California, and I'm told this is for SBC DSL Modem Firewall support...")
• I guess I didn't answer correctly, so I'm told, sorry, you can't get there from here
• I incurred the long distance charges to call the above number which turns out to be ZoneLabs (I'm going to guess they have something to do with the firewall built into 2Wire's gateway distributed to SBC DSL users, Macintosh Special Division)
• figured out from the phone menu which option tech support for ZoneLabs was supposed to be and...
• "ZoneLabs" does not accept tech support calls at this time, thank you for calling.

In summary, what used to work just fine now does not, and I'm several hours into the tech support dance, up the ZoneLabs creek without a tech support paddle. In retrospect, I think our SBC DSL person (Macintosh Division) heard "firewall" and automatically sent me over to an unrelated firewall product vendor. My question for the jury is, I'm a geek, what do normal people do? OK, OK, not display X Windows program from remote customer sites to their home office setup, apparently. Good point! 8^)