• (cs) in reply to Marc B
    Marc B:
    Damn, you're clever ¤ <-- That's my new sarcasm mark.
    3¤E <-- O NOES GOATSE!
  • (cs) in reply to Grig Larson
    Grig Larson:
    I quit a former company when a boss: - Showed up to my house on a Sunday - Walked right past my roommates - Opened my bedroom door - And berated me about a mess I had left for 20 minutes - While I was in bed, reading, too stunned to respond - Then left to tell me to be at work early the next morning to help him fix it.
    I can relate. About 16 years ago, I worked in a group of 23 folks that had a sub-group of 9, all reporting to the same guy. I'm an early riser, so once I had my bearings, I would come in at 6AM, handle all the it-broke-last-night stuff, and leave at 3:30 in the afternoon.

    The woman who ran the sub-group hated that. One day, her team had a problem-that-has-no-solution issue, so they asked me to stay and help. In the conference room over pizza, they described the issue which turned out to be a Motif macro memory leak. I described the trivial solution. They balked. I insisted. They refused. I offered to go home since it wasn't my problem. My boss overruled and told me to make the change. They insisted it was 2 days of editing. I simply temporarily added a ("C") #define to the includeLast.h file to transform the offending Motif macro into working code (just to show that it would work) and kicked off a build. Four hours later, they tested. It worked.

    Four hours later, most of the sub-group had left, and me and the sub-group boss were the last ones there finishing up (nearly 2AM) when she doesn't even say thanks and asks me if I'm going to be back at 6AM for my coverage. Without responding, I yank the plug on my sparc and leave.

    At 11:30 the next morning, my boss calls me at home, apologizing for her, please don't take her seriously, and come back when I feel "rested".

    It never pays to take abuse.

  • Franz Kafka (unregistered) in reply to SoonerMatt
    SoonerMatt:
    Ran into something kind of similar last week.

    A family member is building a nice house (6000'). Seeing a million dollars get spent on a house I sent an email off to be forwarded to the builder or electrician. It described running cat 5 to all locations where a computer or tv would exist. Terminate them in RJ45, make them all junction in a closet with power and cable for the cable modem, etc. Described being able to install security cameras, a network printer, media server, all of the fun stuff.

    Why the hell are you expecting an electrician to know data cabling? That's your job to get right before the walls go up. Good job

  • Pendejo (unregistered) in reply to JPhi
    JPhi:
    David Emery:
    It turns out that the DSL router provided by Earthlink and the WiFI router from DLINK both decided that they wanted to be 192.168.1.1...

    dave

    SAME EXACT thing happened to me, but it was Verizon DSL... Why in the world would they make the default IP the same as the IP used by almost all consumer routers?? I don't know how I figured it out so quickly, but I noticed the problem as soon as I tried to hook it up... Definitely a WTF, and I'm sure tech support gets calls every hour about it...

    It's a reasonable address for a private network and there are great reasons to use it. Almost every router out there has a default address on the 192.168.1.0 network.

    The real WTF is that you are adding a router on a network subnet that already has one without changing settings. 95 out of a hundred users have no reason to put more than one router in their home, and 4 of the remaining 5 are doing it because they know wtf they are doing with networks, and won't encounter the problem, because they'll change the settings.

  • Mr.'; Drop Database -- (unregistered) in reply to Veinor
    Veinor:
    "My f–cking VPN connection is broken again! Can't you stop fiddling with the god damn network‽"
    Bonus points for the interrobang.
    You lose points for pointing it out.
  • Franz Kafka (unregistered) in reply to DeLos
    DeLos:
    SoonerMatt:
    It's a week later and I don't know what they have figured out, but I wash my hands of it.

    Hopefully they got a competent electrician who can do his job.

    Why would an electrician know how to install cat5?

  • (cs) in reply to Max
    Max:
    On a totally different note, the company in question on this post is clearly small. A large company's CEO would not need VPN access ... most CEOs have assistants for that. Likewise, a large company would have a support process, not yelling in the halls. And a CEO like this would never still be CEO at a large place. My guess is this story came from an office with less than 10 people in it, and the "CEO" is probably called by his first name not his title. But then the story isn't as good.
    Nah. In a 10-person company, Sebastian would be the only IT guy, and would never have assumed the CEO was yelling at someone else about the VPN.
  • AnonymooseCanuck (unregistered)

    I have a friend who is an electrician, they deal with Cat5 and Cat6 all the time. They may not have ALL of the skills necessary to deal with the networking side, but color codes and installation standards any commercial electrician would know. (Worst case he will pull cable to defined locations and I would terminate)

    Conversely I hired a so-called "network engineer" to run 24 Cat5e drops in an office space we were building up last year. (Not sure why I didn't go Cat6e, but anyway that is not the real wtf)

    The real wtf was in the termination.

    Electrician installed conduit and boxes for each drop along the walls that were to be finished. The remainder of the drops were to be installed in jiffy poles.

    Cable was run fairly well, Patch panel in the small server room was done nicely. (At first glance)

    None of the wiring would work! So here I am on a weekend, 5 hours drive from home office, trying to move a division of the company I work for!

    Every single drop was done incorrectly! The "network engineer" had never heard of EIA/TIA 568A or B and the sodding color scheme is printed right on the jacks!

    It took me an entire day to rewire all of the jacks. Before you ask what took so long. The installer used tool-less jacks that you line up the colours and push down with a plastic cover!!!!

  • SomeCoder (unregistered) in reply to Grig Larson
    Grig Larson:
    spectro:
    I don't understand how people stand being yelled at.

    I was yelled once in my job, as soon as the berating ended and the boss walked away I packed my stuff and left that place for good.

    I actually did this.

    I quit a former company when a boss:

    • Showed up to my house on a Sunday
    • Walked right past my roommates
    • Opened my bedroom door
    • And berated me about a mess I had left for 20 minutes
    • While I was in bed, reading, too stunned to respond
    • Then left to tell me to be at work early the next morning to help him fix it.

    Funny thing, it turns out I didn't create the mess, a customer did. But having your boss barge into your bedroom on a weekend and scream at you is pretty traumatic. The very next day, when I showed up to work and saw him waiting for me, I handed him my office keys, a letter of resignation, and told him no hard feelings. I shook his hand, and stayed in another state for a few weeks (LDR girlfriend) in case he came to my house again and kicked my ass or something.

    I was also pretty pissed at my roommates they had let him in and showed him where my bedroom was.

    Months after I had my new job, we met up and he apologized for his actions, and was pretty bummed I had quit. But there was no way in hell I would work with someone with that kind of temper.

    Wow. Bad economy or no, I would have done the same thing. I would not tolerate that for one second.

    Needing a job is one thing but there are limits and that boss went so far passed them that you can't even see them anymore.

  • Ian Tester (unregistered) in reply to InsanityCubed
    InsanityCubed:
    e. If he's getting a DHCP address rather than static, why isn't he using some web service to track his IP in case it changes (CEO probably couldn't handle this).

    The DHCP servers were internal, one in the DSL router, the other in the satellite router. That's what his laptop (and presumebly the boss's computer) was using to get an internal, private address. As to how each of the routers were getting their public, internet routable addresses is another matter. Maybe the DSL line had a static address.

  • (cs) in reply to Grig Larson
    Grig Larson:
    - Opened my bedroom door - And berated me about a mess I had left for 20 minutes - While I was in bed, reading, too stunned to respond
    You didn't jump up and ease him back out the door, possibly jacking his jaw and bloodying his nose in the process?
    Grig Larson:
    ...stayed in another state for a few weeks...in case he came to my house again and kicked my ass or something.
    Oh. Well, nevermind, then.

    That's so very sad.

    You know, in my bedroom there are any number of items that could instantly become equalizers.

  • (cs) in reply to Pendejo
    Pendejo:
    David Emery:
    It turns out that the DSL router provided by Earthlink and the WiFI router from DLINK both decided that they wanted to be 192.168.1.1... dave

    It's a reasonable address for a private network and there are great reasons to use it. Almost every router out there has a default address on the 192.168.1.0 network.

    The real WTF is that you are adding a router on a network subnet that already has one without changing settings. 95 out of a hundred users have no reason to put more than one router in their home, and 4 of the remaining 5 are doing it because they know wtf they are doing with networks, and won't encounter the problem, because they'll change the settings.

    Get a DSL modem, with DSL line input, and one single RJ45 plug (like most modems providers give out) to which the family PC is connected. Most have 192.168.1.1 as default, and a running DHCP server. 1 month later decide you want WiFi so that your daughter can surf then net with her new laptop, get an AP. Plug the AP into the modem - oh it doesn't work... of course, as most APs come with 192.168.1.1 as default, with a running DHCP server.

    As pointed earlier, VERY common case.

  • Mojo Hand (unregistered) in reply to Anon
    g. Why didn't he run out to the drug store, buy some cheap perfume and a cheap pair of earrings. Then go back to the bosses house, spray the perfume on the boss' wives pillow and hide one of the earrings in the bed somewhere?

    OK that's just evil. I can see why you posted anon.

  • You-do-not-want-to-know (unregistered) in reply to KD
    KD:
    If I ever reached the point where the boss expected me to go to his house to hook up his internet connection, I would be looking for a new job. After clearing out his liquor cabinet, of course.
    Strangely enough, that's the first thing we check when we go in for a full VIP privacy review. The amount of bad and totally unsecured home networks we come across is staggering. At least we got to a point now where the K&R insurance is listening - providing access to scheduling data is a good starting point for K&R planning so they now ask us in themselves (also to swepp for bugs).

    The fact that you got a WiFi link without being asked for a password was a good hint IMHO..

  • Kasper (unregistered)

    So, why could the VPN not connect over the cable connection? Did the VPN server restrict the connection to just whitelisted IPs? May be good for security, but bad for availability.

    If the CEO hadn't been an ass, and Sebastian really knew how to configure this cleverly, he could have configured the computer to setup two independent VPN tunnels through the different internet connections and bundle them for performance and redundancy.

  • Jo Bob (unregistered) in reply to AnonymooseCanuck
    AnonymooseCanuck:
    The installer (the "network engineer"??) used tool-less jacks that you line up the colours and push down with a plastic cover!!!!

    I'm hoping you're going to say that they used some off-brand cable where the Red looks like Orange and the Blue/ Green or they're color-blind or something, Please!! Otherwise if they're that bad at matching colors, I hope their Mom still lays out their clothes for them.

    Yet another reason why I have them do network tests, even if it's only with a laptop to a cheap switch written on the back of an envelope. But a full blown cable tester report for the 'big' jobs.

  • Anon (unregistered) in reply to Erik
    Erik:
    So is the cell phone problem in this story just an odd coincidence?

    Seeing he mentioned that outside there was something dug up with lots of wires, and that he had full signal, it would seem (maybe) that the tower that gives him cell-service at that location is PROBABLY connected to the head-office via fibre which was also disrupted.

  • Franz Kafka (unregistered) in reply to Kasper
    Kasper:
    So, why could the VPN not connect over the cable connection? Did the VPN server restrict the connection to just whitelisted IPs? May be good for security, but bad for availability.

    If the CEO hadn't been an ass, and Sebastian really knew how to configure this cleverly, he could have configured the computer to setup two independent VPN tunnels through the different internet connections and bundle them for performance and redundancy.

    because it was an inbound vpm - DSL was trashed, but that has a different ip than the cable modem.

  • SoonerMatt (unregistered) in reply to Jo Bob
    Jo Bob:
    AnonymooseCanuck:
    The installer (the "network engineer"??) used tool-less jacks that you line up the colours and push down with a plastic cover!!!!

    I'm hoping you're going to say that they used some off-brand cable where the Red looks like Orange and the Blue/ Green or they're color-blind or something, Please!! Otherwise if they're that bad at matching colors, I hope their Mom still lays out their clothes for them.

    Yet another reason why I have them do network tests, even if it's only with a laptop to a cheap switch written on the back of an envelope. But a full blown cable tester report for the 'big' jobs.

    I often find that the brown and orange are too similar IF there are any that can be confused at all.

  • foxyshadis (unregistered) in reply to sqlblindman

    PSA to Jake: You're not writing the next comedic Hemingway. You're the most annoying writer on the internet now that Tucker Max has moved on to Hollywood. Padding a ten line story into two smarmy pages only makes me stop laughing, stop reading, stop checking for updates, and stop mentioning the site to others.

    sqlblindman:
    He was the one who installed the VPN at the CEO's home, but he had no idea the CEO might be addressing him when complaining about not having VPN access? Fire his ass for being clueless.
    I don't doubt that the entire exchange was fantasized by Jake; it's just a minimal variation of dozens of other fake opening segments of these stories.
  • Ryan (unregistered)

    I've done cat5/6 installations both business and residential, and I wouldn't dream of handing the task over to an electrician without drawing each and every cable route and endpoint on the blueprints, and reviewing those plans with the electrician at the job site!

    The RWTF is that someone thinks they'll get a clean, professional setup by sending an email to someone else to be forwarded to the person doing the work.

    The electricians wiring up the house aren't trained to--and shouldn't be expected to--know where and how to route the cables. I think the same problem happened with the house that terminated all the cables outside. Nobody gave the electrician a spec for a wiring closet or termination junction.

  • (cs) in reply to snoofle
    snoofle:
    Paula:
    TRWTF is that he ate a hot dog. That shit's nasty!
    To that end, my niece asked where hot dogs come from. I explained that to make apple juice, you put apples in heavy cloth, and squish it in a press. To get hot dogs, you wrap a pig in heavy cloth and squish it in a press, and put the "output" into the skin. They did not want to hear about where hamburgers come from...
    TRWTF is you've just made me pee on my wife's favorite recliner ;) I hope I won't wake her up by cleaning it -- at least I always get Stainsafe put on my furniture, so it should be easy to clean. We'll see...
  • (cs) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    Made up symbols are not coolʢ

    [FYI, ʢ is supposed to be a poor effort at an <a rel="nofollow" href=""http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_mark" target="_blank" title=""http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_mark">irony mark. See, I'm being ironic - how very droll!]

    Why would you use a voiced epiglottal fricative when there's a perfectly serviceable irony mark in Unicode⸮

  • Nunja Business (unregistered)

    3 Things:

    1. Yes Sebastian it IS your job. If the freaking CEO of the company that pays your bills tells you to do something within your meager skillset - you do it. Or go practice making Happy Meals. Bunch of whining prima donna wankers think you ought to be able to dictate how business is done and whether you are yelled at or not? Be glad you have a job that has any decent compensation and make damn sure you do YOUR job right and you shouldn't be the target.

    B. Why would anyone who claims to know what they are talking about contract an electrician to run (and terminate) network cabling? Would you hire a plumber to run your satellite cable? Why does everybody think an electrician is even familiar with the wiring scheme for cat5? It is a "COMMUNICATION" cable you want right? Well, let's see ... who knows a little something about that. I know - THE TELEPHONE COMPANY. Jeebus.

    III. Anyone who buys a house without crawling all over it inside and out and KNOWING exactly what they are getting before they even make an offer is an imbecile and needs to be protected from their own lack of judgment. If you are so oblivious that you were "extremely dismayed to see that (the cat5 cables) were hanging out of the brick wall" then you are really not qualified to hold pretty much any tech-related job. Did you think they plumbed the cables down through the bricks from some mysterious nether space in the roof? Pull the freaking cables back through the other side of the wall and move on. Maybe you need to hire someone to hook them up and wipe your ass too.

  • Procedural (unregistered) in reply to Nunja Business

    [quote user="Nunja Business"

    1. Yes Sebastian it IS your job. If the freaking CEO of the company that pays your bills tells you to do something within your meager skillset - you do it. Or go practice making Happy Meals. Bunch of whining prima donna wankers think you ought to be able to dictate how business is done and whether you are yelled at or not? Be glad you have a job that has any decent compensation and make damn sure you do YOUR job right and you shouldn't be the target. [/quote]

    Oh, rare: an armchair capitalist. If you do get out and mess up your sofa groove, you will find that the market operates differently than a 1909 coal mine did. No matter how the economy is performing, the one thing that it relies on is technology. If you ever need to hire people with some experience, you'll find that they probably have more options of employers than a guy like you can have of candidates. So, act in your very best interest and be respectful. Unless you need to hire the desperate and unqualified, but then you might be in the wrong place: there is simply no audience here for your advice.

  • Skippy (unregistered) in reply to David Emery
    David Emery:
    I wonder how many hours of Tech Support is wasted because these two devices both claimed the same IP address?

    I remember when High Speed Internet was called Broadband and Comcast would only allow you to connect one computer to your cable modem. If you told them you were using a router they'd ask how many machines were on your network and add like $5.95 per machine to your bill. To this day when I call support and I'm asked if I'm using a router/wireless I reflexively reply "NO!"

    I imagine that giving them modems the same subnet that most routers use was a tactical move to identify and thus charge users who were using routers to share connections so that they could be subjected to additional charges.

    This is also why most routers have a MAC Address cloning feature because ISPs use to lock your modem to the machine it was initially configured on to keep you from installing a router.

  • csrster (unregistered) in reply to KD
    KD:
    If I ever reached the point where the boss expected me to go to his house to hook up his internet connection, I would be looking for a new job. After clearing out his liquor cabinet, of course.

    ... unless that's part of your job description. But being sworn at and abused is right out, unless you're into that kind of thing.

  • (cs) in reply to Nunja Business
    Nunja Business:
    1. Yes Sebastian it IS your job. If the freaking CEO of the company that pays your bills tells you to do something within your meager skillset - you do it. Or go practice making Happy Meals. Bunch of whining prima donna wankers think you ought to be able to dictate how business is done and whether you are yelled at or not? Be glad you have a job that has any decent compensation and make damn sure you do YOUR job right and you shouldn't be the target.
    TopCod3r? Is that you?
  • (cs) in reply to foxyshadis
    foxyshadis:
    PSA to Jake: You're not writing the next comedic Hemingway. You're the most annoying writer on the internet now that Tucker Max has moved on to Hollywood. Padding a ten line story into two smarmy pages only makes me stop laughing, stop reading, stop checking for updates, and stop mentioning the site to others.
    You've stopped reading and checking for updates, yet you're still commenting on the new articles? Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out...
    Anon:
    f. Why, after determining the problem, didn't he call the boss, tell him it's going to take a while, and spend the next couple of hours relaxing in the boss' recliner watching pay-per-view movies on cable?
    The Article:
    When he tried to call the CEO from the house line, he couldn't even get a dial tone. Even Sebastian's cell phone couldn't get a signal, despite the signal being at full strength.
    I kind of understand not reading all the comments before commenting, but not reading the article? That takes a special kind of person...
  • (cs) in reply to dkf
    dkf:
    Nunja Business:
    1. Yes Sebastian it IS your job. If the freaking CEO of the company that pays your bills tells you to do something within your meager skillset - you do it. Or go practice making Happy Meals. Bunch of whining prima donna wankers think you ought to be able to dictate how business is done and whether you are yelled at or not? Be glad you have a job that has any decent compensation and make damn sure you do YOUR job right and you shouldn't be the target.
    TopCod3r? Is that you?
    I thought it was KenW at first. But then I realized the poster didn't call anyone a script kiddie.
  • (cs) in reply to Kilrah
    Kilrah:
    Get a DSL modem, with DSL line input, and one single RJ45 plug (like most modems providers give out) to which the family PC is connected. Most have 192.168.1.1 as default, and a running DHCP server. 1 month later decide you want WiFi so that your daughter can surf then net with her new laptop, get an AP. Plug the AP into the modem - oh it doesn't work... of course, as most APs come with 192.168.1.1 as default, with a running DHCP server.

    As pointed earlier, VERY common case.

    By definition an "access point" isn't a router and wouldn't be running DHCP. However a layman wouldn't know the difference, and would probably end up with a wireless router instead of an AP, connected to his ISP's supplied non-wireless router.

    In the UK it seems that most DSL modems aren't also routers, so don't run a DHCP server. My modem has no public-side IP at all, and has a local-side IP of 192.168.100.1. My actual router (advertised as a cable internet router, but like all those in the UK actually has a network port on the WAN side and no integrated cable modem) gets my public internet IP and takes 192.168.0.1 as it's LAN-side IP. No conflicts there.

    Though, my router is dying now, after serving me well for a couple of years. I have difficulty even getting a ping back from it LAN-side, with massive packet loss through it. I've built a replacement: 1Ghz passive mini-itx board with CF card for storage (no fans, no moving parts at all = actually silent), 512MB ram and 4 Gbps LAN ports, hopefully installing Linux on it today (borrowing a usb cd drive).

  • ingenious (unregistered)

    Funny ツ

  • (cs) in reply to Code Dependent
    Code Dependent:
    I thought it was KenW

    You know, I'm starting to feel a little worried by the fact you're thinking about me so much... Maybe you should see someone, like a psychiatrist?

  • Nubbins (unregistered) in reply to Nunja Business
    Nunja Business:
    3 Things: B. Why would anyone who claims to know what they are talking about contract an electrician to run (and terminate) network cabling? Would you hire a plumber to run your satellite cable? Why does everybody think an electrician is even familiar with the wiring scheme for cat5? It is a "COMMUNICATION" cable you want right? Well, let's see ... who knows a little something about that. I know - THE TELEPHONE COMPANY. Jeebus.

    Most electricians around here not only know how to run cat5/6/e/fiber/next gen, they know how to terminate it also.

  • (cs) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    Veinor:
    "My f–cking VPN connection is broken again! Can't you stop fiddling with the god damn network‽"
    Bonus points for the interrobang.
    Made up symbols are not coolʢ

    [FYI, ʢ is supposed to be a poor effort at an <a rel="nofollow" href=""http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_mark" target="_blank" title=""http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irony_mark">irony mark. See, I'm being ironic - how very droll!]

    "Interrobang"?

    I just assumed it was a rendering problem from having No Script on, and ignored it.

  • EIA/TIA Hater (unregistered) in reply to SoonerMatt

    I've found that blue/white and green/white are pretty easily confused, if (A) the light's poor, and (B) the twist rate on the color stripe is low enough that you can't see much of it (for the length of jacket you stripped away).

  • (cs) in reply to halcyon1234
    halcyon1234:
    "Interrobang"?

    I just assumed it was a rendering problem from having No Script on, and ignored it.

    I prefer the french name for it: Exclarogative!?

  • (cs) in reply to KenW
    KenW:
    Code Dependent:
    I thought it was KenW

    You know, I'm starting to feel a little worried by the fact you're thinking about me so much... Maybe you should see someone, like a psychiatrist?

    Don't let it go to your head, Ken. It's rare to encounter someone whose social interaction consists entirely of invective. You do stand out in that respect.

  • lolatyourattitude (unregistered) in reply to sqlblindman

    Don't be such a sycophant. When people initiate communications with me, they look me in the eyes to establish that we are talking with one another (or at least call out my name, first), THEN begin talking - even if I'm the only person in the room.

    If my boss, or even his boss, ever stormed into a room and had a temper tantrum without clearly establishing that I am his target recipient, I'd ignore them, too.

    If Sebastian is a competent IT tech, he can easily get a new job -- this time looking for one with a boss that understands how proper interpersonal communication works.

  • (cs) in reply to Definer
    Definer:
    The problem is Cat5. He most likely meant Cat5e which is rated to 1Gbps.

    His problem is that he had the electrician do it and only specified the type of cable and port.

    Which the electrician ignored, terminating CAT5 to RJ11 phone jacks instead of RJ45, and attaching them to the phone network instead of terminating in the specified closet.
  • (cs) in reply to Pendejo
    Pendejo:
    JPhi:
    David Emery:
    It turns out that the DSL router provided by Earthlink and the WiFI router from DLINK both decided that they wanted to be 192.168.1.1...

    dave

    SAME EXACT thing happened to me, but it was Verizon DSL... Why in the world would they make the default IP the same as the IP used by almost all consumer routers?? I don't know how I figured it out so quickly, but I noticed the problem as soon as I tried to hook it up... Definitely a WTF, and I'm sure tech support gets calls every hour about it...

    It's a reasonable address for a private network and there are great reasons to use it. Almost every router out there has a default address on the 192.168.1.0 network.

    The real WTF is that you are adding a router on a network subnet that already has one without changing settings. 95 out of a hundred users have no reason to put more than one router in their home, and 4 of the remaining 5 are doing it because they know wtf they are doing with networks, and won't encounter the problem, because they'll change the settings.

    In short, an access point is what was required here. Many consumer routers can be reconfigured as an access point, if a dedicated access point is not available.

  • (cs)

    So many Sebastian WTFs here...

    Despite his CEO's opinion, Sebastian was a very competent IT Tech, and had taken all of these things into consideration when setting it up.

    I suppose that's Sebastian's opinion of himself then? Or does Alex know this guy really well?

    * Network cable present? Check – still there. * Company router? Check – working. * DSL sync? Nope – strange. * Internet access working? Check – WTF?

    Sebastian obviously never read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

    Who would check the internet access after seeing that the DSL sync light wasn't working? It worked in this particular case, but his brain clearly isn't programmed like an engineer's.

  • sewiv (unregistered)

    Apparently not too many of the commenters work with current modern electricians. All of the ones I deal with are fully trained in data wiring as well as power wiring, and it's part of the apprenticeship training around here as well.

  • Teh Irish Gril Riot (unregistered) in reply to lolatyourattitude
    lolatyourattitude:
    Don't be such a sycophant. When people initiate communications with me, they look me in the eyes to establish that we are talking with one another (or at least call out my name, first), THEN begin talking - even if I'm the only person in the room.

    If my boss, or even his boss, ever stormed into a room and had a temper tantrum without clearly establishing that I am his target recipient, I'd ignore them, too.

    If Sebastian is a competent IT tech, he can easily get a new job -- this time looking for one with a boss that understands how proper interpersonal communication works.

    That ain't no reg'lar squall out there, sailor. That there's one o'them deee-pressions headin' our way!

  • Mark (unregistered) in reply to JamesQMurphy
    JamesQMurphy:
    heltoupee:
    Repeat after me: "If I want something done right, I will do it myself."

    In all seriousness, it sounds like you know what you're doing. If your email was worded correctly and was incorporated into the contract, you should be able to get the electrician to come out and fix it for free, since he didn't follow any of your specs (save that there is possibly CAT 5 run to most of the rooms).

    Too true! My neighbor is a competent electrician -- put a new 200A service in my house, nice neat work, etc. But he is the first to admit that he knows nothing about networking. He wouldn't know what to with Cat 6.

    His WiFi is secured; I suspect it was his daughter who did that.

    If it's WEP, crack it.

    If it's WPA, bang the daughter. Ask for the key.

  • (cs) in reply to Code Dependent
    Code Dependent:
    Don't let it go to your head, Ken. It's rare to encounter someone whose social interaction consists entirely of invective. You do stand out in that respect.

    Gee, I'm glad you think I stand out.

    It's also amazing that you appear to be the only one who thinks so; none of my dozens of friends does, nor do any of the people I help on software support forums and via email, or any of the people I work with on a daily basis...

    Perhaps it's just the fact that you post such idiotic things that it brings out the worst in me... Or maybe I just don't like pretentious wanna-be programmers very much (which would also explain you).

  • CogMeetMachine (unregistered) in reply to SomeCoder

    ^^ has obviously never worked very closely with a bi-polar CEO. Heh.

  • CogMeetMachine (unregistered) in reply to CogMeetMachine
    CogMeetMachine:
    ^^ has obviously never worked very closely with a bi-polar CEO. Heh.

    Wonderful, I fail at quoting. Meant that for the guys earlier who commented about frantic CEOs.

  • tbrown (unregistered) in reply to Anonymous
    Anonymous:
    Marc B:
    Damn, you're clever ¤ <-- That's my new sarcasm mark.
    Ah, but given that sarcasm is a subset of irony, you should probably have been using 'ʢ'!

    Is being facetious a subset of being sarcastic or is it something else entirely? Would it get it's own symbol?

  • Sigivald (unregistered) in reply to savar

    Well, Savar, many of us have the habit of starting browsers, assuming we're not doing network diagnostics every day, all day.

    When one does that out of habit and it works, despite the DSL being evidently down, that's something you note.

    (As for "how the hell was I getting internet access?", the first thing I'd do is not go around looking at all the wires, but run traceroute/tracert.

    Seeing the cable company name in the chain would have fired off the "a-ha!".)

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