Seventy-two hours into intermittent DSL Net connection via AT&T. Have talked to robots, human techs, Googled the various boxes that pop up, and the beat goes on. And off. On and off. When it does work, it’s verryy sloow.
First it was an IP address conflict. Working together Mr. B and I satisfied ourselves there was/is no conflict. The box still pops up whenever the system goes down again. Next possibility was/is defective filters between phone lines and modem causing interference. Plan to buy two new filters today and see if that helps.
Also trying to update the firmware in the Netgear WiFi router, but so far the router can’t connect with its home base on the Web to check for updates. Grrrr.
If this isn’t resolved by tomorrow night, it’s bye-bye AT&T. Hello Time-Warner. Not that I expect one big, impersonal corp to be any better than another, but at least the problems will be new. These old problems are really old.
UPDATE: Two human techs later, the DSL problems have been solved but the landline still won’t take incoming calls. Supposedly a third tech will work on the latter. I hope s/he can fix it without screwing up the DSL.
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 
Yeah… even if I happened to work for a few years for that monster (AT&T), I hear too much about the kind of service people are getting from them.
Not that the cable guys who provide our house with TV, phone and Inet are much better. All part of the worldwide conspiracy to drive the customers crazy.
The third tech actually fixed the problem with the phone (so far, anyhow) and even though I wasn’t polite to him he was very friendly and gave me his name and cell number and the name and cell number of his supervisor to call next time we have a problem. So there’s hope yet, even for AT&T.