Upcoming Emergency Alert Test - August 11, 2021

The test isn't touching any computing/network equipment, only cable TV boxes and cell phones (via SMS text) and radio stations.

The advice that some subscribers may have to reboot their cable box is that something might go wrong with the test and screw up your cable box. If you don't get TV channels to come back, whether a test or just the normal crappy cable box operation, then that's troubleshooting 101.

Here's an article regarding a test back in 2011

Viewers will experience something similar to the required monthly EAS test broadcasters carry, but the related electronic equipment notification codes are different. The Nov. 9 test was originally to run for three minutes, but was scaled back to 30 seconds last week after concerns emerged that some folks might discern an actual emergency. Some cable operators cannot yet run a text crawl indicating the event is a test, creating the possibility that deaf and hard-of-hearing subscribers may misinterpret the alert as a real emergency.

The Comcast email indicates that the test may bring down some cable set-tops,:

“If you experience the Emergency Alert System message for more than five minutes, please do the following: Power-cycle your cable box by unplugging the power cord from the outlet. Wait thirty seconds and then plug it back in.”

Are they installing something on your cable box? Probably not. Otherwise they would say a reboot is required.

a reply to: opethPA

Hell this site used to be about DENY IGNORANCE .

It is just a slogan.
Ignorance has been here since the beginning.

I know this has been happening in the USA for years,but the UK government has just started the same thing:
www.gov.uk...
There was talk of it being tested on June 22nd but I didn't get a message.
www.independent.co.uk...

It going to make a loud siren sound..well thats going to be confusing as I already have this as my ringtone:

embed wont work:
www.youtube.com...

Anyway the whole thing sounds like yet another interfering attempt by the government to generate fear in the population,and likley will not work as advertised as is the norm.

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: MykeNukem
This is normal.

I think the "reboot" thing is just the ISP helpdesk trying to head off some calls.

Yup, that is the point I am trying to make. =)

Again not saying CT"s on a Conspiracy Website shouldn't question things but if there is a chance to actually give people information to make an informed decision then I think that is a good thing. Hell this site used to be about DENY IGNORANCE .

I change my mind when there's reason to.

It appears the ISP didn't actually release the announcement verbatim, but were just sending a "general" announcement, with the obligatory "don't bother calling us until you reboot" type of thing, which anyone who has worked helpdesk knows is the main go-to, lol.

Now I'm suspicious of the ISP....lmao.

Probably trying to install Bonzai Buddy or something...

originally posted by: butcherguy
a reply to: opethPA

Hell this site used to be about DENY IGNORANCE .

It is just a slogan.
Ignorance has been here since the beginning.

No doubt it is fully just a slogan at this point but over the past few years it's been way more "this or that" vs meaningful discourse around different topics.

originally posted by: Nyiah

....I grew up in FL (90's beach rat) and listened to the weekly EAS tests every #ing weekend (usually Saturdays during the cartoons, bastards) for 25 years straight into adulthood. Sometimes the damn thing would blare that EE-AAAAA, EE-AAAAAA, EE-AAAAA tone for 5 minutes, pretty sure that was regional system syncings back then. Probably still is, timing is everything to get it all out everywhere at the same time.

..... (but hot damn if they ain't right on time first Friday of every month testing the tornado sirens)

I usually get the 'Weekly Test' on 2 consecutive days every week. It's quite annoying. My best guess is that I must be getting one for Indiana and also one for Illinois for some reason.

and a Tornado Siren every Wednesday at noon.

originally posted by: MykeNukem

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: MykeNukem
This is normal.

I think the "reboot" thing is just the ISP helpdesk trying to head off some calls.

Yup, that is the point I am trying to make. =)

Again not saying CT"s on a Conspiracy Website shouldn't question things but if there is a chance to actually give people information to make an informed decision then I think that is a good thing. Hell this site used to be about DENY IGNORANCE .

I change my mind when there's reason to.

It appears the ISP didn't actually release the announcement verbatim, but were just sending a "general" announcement, with the obligatory "don't bother calling us until you reboot" type of thing, which anyone who has worked helpdesk knows is the main go-to, lol.

Now I'm suspicious of the ISP....lmao.

Probably trying to install Bonzai Buddy or something...

This whole post warms me to my core.. LOL!

Disgruntled IT staff..
Actually we did a Cisco Champions Podcast like that at CLUS a few years ago, I'll see if I can find it.

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: MykeNukem

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: MykeNukem
This is normal.

I think the "reboot" thing is just the ISP helpdesk trying to head off some calls.

Yup, that is the point I am trying to make. =)

Again not saying CT"s on a Conspiracy Website shouldn't question things but if there is a chance to actually give people information to make an informed decision then I think that is a good thing. Hell this site used to be about DENY IGNORANCE .

I change my mind when there's reason to.

It appears the ISP didn't actually release the announcement verbatim, but were just sending a "general" announcement, with the obligatory "don't bother calling us until you reboot" type of thing, which anyone who has worked helpdesk knows is the main go-to, lol.

Now I'm suspicious of the ISP....lmao.

Probably trying to install Bonzai Buddy or something...

This whole post warms me to my core.. LOL!

Disgruntled IT staff..
Actually we did a Cisco Champions Podcast like that at CLUS a few years ago, I'll see if I can find it.

Ok.

I'll stand by with this handy Sony cup holder tray thingy that they built into my PC.

a reply to: elementalgrove

Mike Lindells cyber symposium?

What a strange coincidence, this is the exact date of Mike Lindell symposium in Texas, to reveal all prove of election fraud?

originally posted by: ancientlight
What a strange coincidence, this is the exact date of Mike Lindell symposium in Texas, to reveal all prove of election fraud?

You honestly think that Mike Lindell's symposium was scheduled prior to the nationwide EAS testing ?

On paper saying "their are no coincidences" seems great but meanwhile the real world doesn't operate in a vacuum or in a serial manner.
There are probably millions of other events taking place, around the world, on the same day that Mike Lindell chose to schedule his sales pitch.. Does that mean those events are odd also?

originally posted by: marg6043
This morning I woke up with a dread, I dream all night with the darn government control and the darn covid, yep it was a terrible dream and it keep telling me that is all a lie.

Nasty things are coming and my gut feeling is telling my worst nightmares will become true.

Have I ever told you about the dream I had in 2008 when the primaries were still going strong?

a reply to: LSU2018

I will love to hear, but for a while a few years ago, I had dreams of living in some type of government more like nazi type, I even was wearing some type of uniform.

I thought it was just too many movies, but who knows,

originally posted by: MykeNukem

originally posted by: LSU2018
a reply to: opethPA

It says you "may need to", not you "may want to". You've seen this in the particular field you're in, how many times have you seen it across an entire customer base?

I've only seen this or recommended this when I was re-configuring or updating/removing software or hardware.

I've been out of the game for awhile, but performed over 11k on-site network service calls in my previous career.

To be honest, I usually wouldn't give the consumer the choice, I'd hard boot it with a script.

ETA: One exception like OpenPA said, If changes are related to Routing Tables, DNS, Wins, etc. That could require a reboot of your Network Services.

For TV's and radios though, there's no reason I can think of that you would need to power cycle it.

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: LSU2018
a reply to: opethPA

It says you "may need to", not you "may want to". You've seen this in the particular field you're in, how many times have you seen it across an entire customer base?

For me the fact it doesn't say WILL have to is much different to me then saying MAY need to.
It's giving a choice to the end user.

I have seen similar disclaimers added to almost every comm that goes out regardless of if it impacted classified or unclassified networks, healthcare ecosystems or game system clients. My thoughts are when I read those messages it's more of a default troubleshooting step vs anything else. You simply dont know what someone is running or how they are running it and being given the option to reboot is a pretty standard approach.

It doesn't make me think there will be a choice. It looks to me like it will affect certain equipment and those customers will need to power cycle. But then again, you're on the service side of this and I'm on the customer side so we're seeing it from different angles.

originally posted by: BrokenCircles
a reply to: LSU2018

So if this is nationwide at the exact same time....
Are you Central Time Zone?

Yes, I'm in NW Louisiana where many people have refused to get vaccinated, a small piece of information that would usually render itself irrelevant in a thread like this.

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: ancientlight
What a strange coincidence, this is the exact date of Mike Lindell symposium in Texas, to reveal all prove of election fraud?

You honestly think that Mike Lindell's symposium was scheduled prior to the nationwide EAS testing ?

On paper saying "their are no coincidences" seems great but meanwhile the real world doesn't operate in a vacuum or in a serial manner.
There are probably millions of other events taking place, around the world, on the same day that Mike Lindell chose to schedule his sales pitch.. Does that mean those events are odd also?

Maybe it's the opposite? Maybe Lindell chose these dates because of it?

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
As others have said, the only reason to require a reboot is if something is being updated or installed.

That in and of itself doesn't mean anything other than for people who don't know how networks work will think it means something nefarious is gonna happen possibly.

Do a EIGRP to OSPF change and yup, you will need to reboot.
Did something change with BGP, yup you may need to reboot.
Recovering from an STP loop , yah probably goona reboot.

Rebooting doesn't mean something bad. Sure it can but it doesn't mean it does.

All understandable, however, as an average citizen on the outside looking in, why exactly would an emergency test message require a possible reboot?

originally posted by: LSU2018

originally posted by: opethPA

originally posted by: Vasa Croe
As others have said, the only reason to require a reboot is if something is being updated or installed.

That in and of itself doesn't mean anything other than for people who don't know how networks work will think it means something nefarious is gonna happen possibly.

Do a EIGRP to OSPF change and yup, you will need to reboot.
Did something change with BGP, yup you may need to reboot.
Recovering from an STP loop , yah probably goona reboot.

Rebooting doesn't mean something bad. Sure it can but it doesn't mean it does.

All understandable, however, as an average citizen on the outside looking in, why exactly would an emergency test message require a possible reboot?

As an average citizen I don't see a message that requires a reboot.

I see a message that says may require. Since , as an average citizen, almost every troubleshooting anyone has given me has started with "did you reboot" I don't find it out of the normal.

originally posted by: LSU2018

originally posted by: MykeNukem

originally posted by: LSU2018
a reply to: opethPA

It says you "may need to", not you "may want to". You've seen this in the particular field you're in, how many times have you seen it across an entire customer base?

I've only seen this or recommended this when I was re-configuring or updating/removing software or hardware.

I've been out of the game for awhile, but performed over 11k on-site network service calls in my previous career.

To be honest, I usually wouldn't give the consumer the choice, I'd hard boot it with a script.

ETA: One exception like OpenPA said, If changes are related to Routing Tables, DNS, Wins, etc. That could require a reboot of your Network Services.

For TV's and radios though, there's no reason I can think of that you would need to power cycle it.

Most TV's are SMART nowadays.

If it's just a broadcast over the air, I agree (radios, etc).

However, if they are sending a message via SMS or some other protocol to your TV then that could cause a glitch, requiring reboot.

In the old days we'd tell clients to "reboot" for ANY problem, even if it made no sense once so ever.

Then we'd go for lunch.

Who knows there may be something to it?

But I think it's just heading off calls that always occur after something like this.

If I was designing this (nefariously to install something), I wouldn't ask permission, I'd just update the next time YOU decided to reboot. Easy peasy.