Category Archives: Computers

Computers

Wiring closet

I recently completed data wiring for a customer. They, like others, were moving users, cubicles, etc, and needed new drops and moves. It was staged as the users moved from area to area. The local IT support person called me after I was done with the first area and indicated that the PCs would not connect to the network. I asked if he patched the connection to a switch in the closest. His response “oh, I have to do that?” I informed him he would and that it is standard practice for a wiring install to be terminated and tested, but not connected to the switch as that is the local IT responsibility for a number of reasons. He understood and was OK with that.

Cut to two days later and area #2. Same local IT person contacted me and asked why the PCs would not connect to the network. Same answer from me. His response “oh yeah, OK.”

Fast forward another two days. Same person, same question. His response, “oh yeah, I guess I should have checked that first”.

It never ceases to amaze me.

 

User quote of the day

While replacing a user’s PC, she asked “can you not put the new computer on the small stand. The large thing on the small thing affects my balance”.

Ommmmmmmmmm

Stupid telephone guy

I customer of mine is moving a branch office location and needs their network moved and new wiring for voice and data. I pull new lines and work with the Internet vendor on the backboard for the gear. The installer puts up a 2×2 back board above their current one and arranges his equipment nicely on the top leaving me plenty of space. I mounted a 24 port patch panel and 66 block leaving space above the patch panel for the switch and firewall/router and space below for the phone system to be moved.

Fast forward to the next day when I return to move the network gear, only to find that the moron phone guy moved the patch panel up and put the phone system in the middle of the board and mounted power adapters below the system rather than on the side which would have left the patch panel in place. Incompetence at its best, plus he mounted to crooked.

Take away lesson, grab a sharpie and clearly mark DO NOT MOVE, SPACE FOR NETWORK EQUIPMENT.

You F**king Douche Bag!!!

A friend recommended helpdeskvnc as a greet remote support software, so i thought I would give it a try. I downloaded and installed. While installing, I thought something was up as my Chrome browser closed. I reopened it and restored my tabs as it was not shutdown properly. The software is not what I want so I uninstalled and went to search for UltraVNC, only to find out that the DOUCHE set Bing as my default search provider with his refer code! FU!!!! What an A-Hole! No matter how good his software could be, I will NEVER use it for bullshit move like that.

Macs SUCK !!!!

Well today I had the misfortune of working on a Mac. I avoid them as much as possible. What a crap OS!!! I am not an apple hater, and if this is what you like then good luck. The iPhone, iPad and iPods are all fantastic but the desktop OS is horrible. I was called to fix a Parallels issue and because some genius decided to have one menu that changes as the application changes, I couldn’t get to the right menu as it kept changing and I would click the app.

No wonder Microsoft remains the desktop and server undisputed champ.

Uh maybe you could let me take a look

So, I stop at a customer to drop off a thin client. While there, they inform me that another thin client of the same model is intermittently turning off and won’t turn back on for 10-15 minutes. I indicate that I will look for any known issues. While waiting to meet with CEO, the user of the errant hardware finds me to let me know it just happened. I follow her back to her cube, where she proceeds to sit in her chair blocking my access to the hardware and she proceeds to try pressing the power button trying to make it go back on. I stood in amazement with a WTF look on my face waiting for her to get up so I can actually fix the issue. After 20 seconds or so, I ask “can I take a look”. I notice the power supply is not the one for this unit, but rather a lower voltage supply for a 5-port switch. I swap it for the correct supply and all is well.

People, when you ask for help, clear the way for the tech. You have had your chance to tinker and/or f**k it up in the first place.

Malware…. arrggghhhhh..

I got a call yesterday from a neighbor regarding their computer that cannot get on the internet. They contacted their ISP that tested the line and indicated the connection was up and functioning correctly, which was indeed true. But, they still could not get to any sites with IE. So, I grabbed my trusty boot CD (UBCD4WIN) and headed to their house. Their antivuris software has web scanning features which appeard to be blocking the connection as I could ping and FTP from DOS. I uninstalled the AV and then could get on the Internet with IE and Chrome, but when clicking on a link I would get redirected to another similar site, but not the one I clicked on. A typical hijack. It was dinner time and I needed other tools on my flash drive, so I returned the following morning.

Day two, I ran ComboFix which found  few issues, and all was well. Reinstalled AV and off I went. This was a minor “infection” but a nuisance none the less.

You did what?!?!?

So… I was at a customer working on various IT related items, as that is what I do. One of my tasks was to setup a backup job for a PC accounting application that was previously setup for testing data import. They now wanted to perform live import/export and wanted to make sure they had a backup before they started. I noticed the last user to login to the PC was the administrator. Not unusual as they may have needed other applications installed since I originally setup the PC. So I asked one of the people in the accounting department what username and password they use to logon to the PC. I heard a clerk yell over the cubicle the domain admin password. First words to come to mind were you’ve got to be kidding! Yes, it is true. One of the “admins” had given not only the accounting department, but MANY other users the domain admin password. I immediately went to the IT department and informed them of this issue, they seemed unconcerned until i explained to them that anyone using that username and password has FULL unrestricted access to ALL servers, payroll, HR, etc. They still were not as concerned as I was.

Needless to say, I immediately changed the password.