Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rpi!bu.edu!m2c!jjmhome!km3t
From: km3t@jjmhome.UUCP (Dave Pascoe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm
Subject: Re: Shiva bait-and-switch
Summary: me too
Message-ID: <10478@jjmhome.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jun 91 10:10:30 GMT
References: <5115@lib.tmc.edu> <1991Jun17.021937.9122@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>
Lines: 39

In article <1991Jun17.021937.9122@dartvax.dartmouth.edu>, rsvp@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (R. Scott V. Paterson) writes:
> 
> I'm not so hot on Shiva as well.  We bought a NetModem two months ago 
> and it connected to the net fine, but would only stay connected for
> five minutes at a time.  I talked with support and they told me I needed
> a ROM upgrade (sheesh I had just bought it new) and that they would send
> one...  Here it is seven weeks later and no ROM...  No wonder they keep
> changing their phone number...

Gee, I thought I was the only one.  At work we have several NetModems and,
while ours do stay connected, there are serious errors when trying to do file
transfers.  We get lots and lots of CRC errors on ZMODEM transfers when these
boxes are hooked up to a larger network.  With the NetModem connected directly
to a Mac there is no problem at all.

I have been working on Shiva for the past few months on this.  I have
*repeatedly* gotten the run-around from them.  Each and every time I mention a
problem and present the technical evidence of the problem they give me the old
cure-all answer: "Oh, what version of the ROM do you have?  Well, let me send
you the latest version."  I'm really sick and tired of their weekly firmware
releases.  This shouldn't be that hard to get working.  Unless they just have
a bunch of yutzes doing the firmware.  And I'm also tired of being a beta test
site because they haven't found the time to do adequate testing.  The problem
we have could easily have been simulated if they had a lab to do it.  I imagine
they must have some sort of test bed.  But they never even tried.

It has become increasingly difficult to reach their technical support staff.
They must be on the phone constantly.  I had to call the head of technical
support to find out why my call wasn't returned last time.  It's one thing
to not have your problem solved but to not have your phone call returned is
an atrocity.  I can understand they're in a growth mode but they're shooting
themselves in the foot by not being responsive to customer requests.

And I haven't received the new PROM yet either.....going on four weeks.  And
they said they sent it too......

-- 
Dave Pascoe | km3t@jjmhome.UUCP  OR  dhp1@gte.com
KM3T        | Packet: km3t @ k1ea.ma.usa.na