Plug and Play

I'd ordered the enticingly named Kombipaket, Telekom Austria's attractive internet offer for the dying breed of landline subscribers (i.e. a deal to make them remain exactly that) back in November and today, ta-dah!, one of their cable guys physically appeared at my place to conjure up my new LAN connection and, what's more, digital TV solution. Due to the fact that my telekom socket is at the exact opposite end of my flat to my tv(s) and desk, he had to lay what seemed kilometres of 2 types of - mercifully white - cables snug around my doorframes and behind my shelves. It took him more than 2 hours and I was itching to get to the office before dusk and to escape his evil body odour and halitosis while he was explaining all the functions and features of my new customised AON tv remote control. "What about the internet?", I wanted to know. "Don't worry, you just plug in the network cable", he said. After months of humouring the moods of my temperamental UPC Telekabel modem, which ultimately culminated in the purchase of a mobile broadband gadget, the old cynic in me didn't quite believe him.

I don't want to jinx it, but he was right. And it's pretty fast too!