Moving from one residence to another is a daunting task: packing furniture and belongings, deciding what to take and what to dispose of, and changing addresses. There’s so much to worry about sometimes we forget about transplanting our technology.
Years ago we didn’t have to spend a lot of time before or after the move. Generally it meant a phone call to the telephone company, then plugging in the computer to the phone line. Outside of the phone and electric, getting ‘connected’ was a pretty simple endeavor.
Today is a different story. Just about everything we do relies on our physical location and some of the technical equipment requires the installation of a technician. Rather than one or two phone calls, connecting services may require having an internet connection and placing several phone calls.
The inspiration for this week’s article came from watching a neighbor move from her place to a new home. For once I enjoyed sitting on the sidelines watching someone else have the painstaking task of cramming a U-Haul. However, my brain was wrapped around the idea that she will now have to sit on the phone for hours setting up her new services.
Many homes utilize cable television providers’ service trio; including telephone, television, and internet service. Usually these bundles are fairly easy to transport from one address to another and only require a phone call. If the new home is in a different community then the phone number may need to be changed. Other than that, setting up service is fairly simple.
Other popular options for internet service are DSL and fiber optic. Both require up to one week of scheduling time to connect the new home to the service. DSL providers send a self-install kit prior to the service being connected. Fiber optic providers require a service technician visit the house to install the service and equipment.
Moving from one community to another can mean having to change internet providers altogether. Even moving across a town line can majorly impact your choice in service providers. Earlier this year, when I moved, I was forced to change internet providers which was a minor inconvenience due to billing and automatic payments.
Telephone service that is not provided by the internet or phone company may be easier to manage during a move. Voice over IP (VOIP) providers like Vonage, supply a separate box that translates the internet signal to voice. Swapping from one address to another means logging into a website and changing your service address. Though not necessary, 911 calls will not be able to respond without a proper address.
Satellite television providers require movers take their set-top boxes and equipment with them and leave the satellite dish attached to the house. It’s a little known fact that satellite providers do not remove dishes. Setting up the new service means calling the provider and scheduling an installation.
I was amazed how easy it was for me to change my address with the post office. Luckily the post office has an online form that takes minutes to fill out and only a short time to fulfill. Once the form is filled and submitted, they take care of notifying other official offices on your behalf.
Transporting technology is something anyone who moves should give some consideration. It could be a minor inconvenience not being able to make a move-related search. In the rare case there’s no cell phone service in the new community, it could be very inconvenient not having a telephone. Most important, after a long day of moving it’s nice to settle in to a movie or TV show.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can text him at (978) 413-2840 or call him directly at (978) 919-8059.)