Yeah, I didn't expect it to work either, but it did. The site wasn't even slow or anything.
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AT&T site has officially CRASHED
- Thread starter smontague
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Yeah, I didn't expect it to work either, but it did. The site wasn't even slow or anything.
When i left the AT&T store about 11:30, they said it's expected to be back up by 3. Let's see if that happens. It's truly a mess.
As several us have pointed out multiple times it is the private data and stuff that requires security that is the problem. That data and servers are not going to be rented out and even then it requires the those servers themselves talking to each other.
The dead give away that is that part were the problem is from the post I quoted below. AT&T is not going to let nor should it a temporarily get a third party access to that kind of information. For example Apple when it is doing the taking the pre orders only gets back approved or not approved back from AT&T.
Maybe it depends where you live. I just came from AT&T to pre-order the iPhone and it went smoothly. They said they don't have any issue to their server. I told them I tried Apple Store and it's sucks.
As of this time, AT&T's iPhone preorder works. Went through the pages without delay and completed the entire preorder within a couple minutes. They will take your credit card info but only charge it when the phone ships. Now it's a matter of waiting until June 24th.
If you placed an order go to https://www.wireless.att.com/order_status/order_status.jsp?vMethod=&vNumber=&ZipCode=
if it is not there you have NO order and need to re do it!
if it is not there you have NO order and need to re do it!
I get to the point if adding a voice/data plan and it won't give me an option to "choose existing" plan although the instructions say it is a viable choice.Spyharpy said:
when I was at their store earlier they're site thingy they use to put the pre-orders on kept crashing from the amount of ppl using them.
Well, AT&T really screwed this one up.
Tried to get onto AT&T Premier site. Got a message saying the site was "down for system upgrades". A few minutes later, got in, but then got a blank page when I clicked on "upgrade options". Somehow got logged-out, when I tried to log back in it told me my user ID and/or password were not good.
Called AT&T and got an operator within just a few minutes. Unfortunately, she was not able to pre-order, saying their "system is down". Was told, though, that I could order in a store. (Why aren't their "systems down"?) Asked where the nearest store was. I was told there were only two within a 25 mile radius - one downtown (parking!) and one 25 miles away in Chula Vista. I told her I could do better with the White Pages, and indeed I can. It lists a dozen stores.
Tried to get onto AT&T Premier site. Got a message saying the site was "down for system upgrades". A few minutes later, got in, but then got a blank page when I clicked on "upgrade options". Somehow got logged-out, when I tried to log back in it told me my user ID and/or password were not good.
Called AT&T and got an operator within just a few minutes. Unfortunately, she was not able to pre-order, saying their "system is down". Was told, though, that I could order in a store. (Why aren't their "systems down"?) Asked where the nearest store was. I was told there were only two within a 25 mile radius - one downtown (parking!) and one 25 miles away in Chula Vista. I told her I could do better with the White Pages, and indeed I can. It lists a dozen stores.
Big hot mess. I need to order in the store so I can add it to an existing account. I tried online early this morning and it told me to go to a store.
Really? The rep I talked to said it was the whole country. i asked if it was just that store or all the stores cus I was willing drive to a different store. Shows how much they know.
It must be back up in some areas. I went into an AT&T Store in Dallas over lunch, completed my pre-order complete and was out the door in 10 minutes.
While I was there I did see a customer all salty because he came early this morning and the system had crashed and he was fuming that someone hadn't called him back to complete his order. While it wasn't packed, it was doing pretty brisk business - so I don't know how he expected to get a call the second things were back online.
While I was there I did see a customer all salty because he came early this morning and the system had crashed and he was fuming that someone hadn't called him back to complete his order. While it wasn't packed, it was doing pretty brisk business - so I don't know how he expected to get a call the second things were back online.
I hope they aren't fullfilling other peoples orders after a bunch of us left with written out orders. Rep told me he'd call if the system came back up before 3. I'd be pissed if he's breezing through other orders now!! I should call him now.
Nonsense, again. This is a company that, up until a few days ago, had iPad owner's account information out in the open, and blamed the "hackers" for the problem. I doubt that use of EC2 servers would prove a problem for ATT's security policy. There are options that will keep your data quite secure.
Nevertheless, this is not rocket science. I worked for a gaming company with extensive online operations. There are ways of dealing with peak loads, if not through renting capacity, through internal configuration. You can also set-up an internal "cloud". The equipment doesn't go to waste - you "borrow" much of it from operations that don't have the need at the time of the peak load.
ATT just didn't bother.
This occurred to me as well. However, I think this falls firmly in the "It's not the customer's problem" category. It is not incumbent upon the consumer to understand the workings of data servers and to be sympathetic when, after being bombarded with "Pre-launch is coming! Buy our product!", being unable to order and receiving time-outs, errors, etc.
While I agree that it would not make fiscal sense to upgrade AT&T's servers at great cost (millions of dollars?) to handle a once in a year occurrence, it would behoove them to come up with alternative planning for a situation such as this.
To use an analogy:
A new restaurant opens. Very popular. Do you let EVERYONE in and then have them stand, packed in, waiting for a table causing an overcrowded situation? Or do you have them wait in line outside?
There must be a way to queue people up. Essentially, letting the servers handle orders in manageable bites rather than letting everyone in at once.
I know this is a crude analogy but I think it is somewhat appropriate. Regardless, somewhere along the way, mistakes were made.
Bottom line, crashed servers=angry customers. There must have been a way to minimize these problems.
//sigh
some of you act like you've trolled around in data centers for the better part of your life.
...probably can't even tell a cat5e cable from a cat ..
some of you act like you've trolled around in data centers for the better part of your life.
...probably can't even tell a cat5e cable from a cat ..
I had to wait a while as the system was down when I stopped in. But hey it gave me a chance to get away from the work crazies and watch the tail end of the Portugal ivory coast game 
. To me there's no point in whipping AT&T a$$. They're trying. It's not the end of the world if we can't pre order something. Just give it some time and try later
. To me there's no point in whipping AT&T a$$. They're trying. It's not the end of the world if we can't pre order something. Just give it some time and try later
Not sure if it's the "better" or "worse" part of my life.
Been doing it since '98, was very involved in designing and building out the data center for one of my employers; but admittedly no exp. in e-comm. My area of expertise is Messaging and Collaboration. Worked for MS supporting Exchange and in my current position I admin Exchange and I'm rolling out OCS 2007 R2.