I have an elderly relative who is a long-time Spark user. She now has two problems with the Spark VDSL router which was supplied in 2010/2011:

• The router configuration is awry. For example, the router firewall showed as disabled but I wasn't able to enable it when I visited earlier this week.
• She loses access to her Google Chromecast v2 every day and has to restart the router to see it again. The same applies if I use my Chromecast there - my Chromecast works fine everywhere else I use it including regularly moving around a few networks with a laptop used for presentations.

The Spark rep told her that they would - generously, she thought - sell her a new router for $99 at a 50% discount. He did not try to resolve the router configuration issue which is the more serious concern for me.

I'd like helpful ideas for what she should do.

I don't think that she is getting good support. But it has been a painful experience every time I speak to Spark on her behalf. The last time was when she moved house a couple of years ago. When I rang up this time there were wait times of over an hour so we took the callback option - no call was returned before I had to leave a few hours later.

She could change ISP to save $10-40 a month and maybe get better service. But she is reluctant to change ISP because she is halfway through the one year Netflix offer so she would have to pay a termination fee if she leaves before the end of June.

I could instead drop my old router in to save her money but then I have to install it and spend more time supporting her.