Apart from work, I have my own customer base. Like many here, I'm "the computer guy" for friends, family, and businesses locally. One of my larger clients is a husband/wife team that have their own respective small businesses in one building. Her business is an adoption agency that deals with Russian kids and the other is an electrical contractor. Earlier this summer when they both moved in to this building, I had the husband's company, an electrical contractor, drop cat5 from the atic into the walls and install RJ45 outlets in each room. From there, I installed a router, got their DSL installed and working, and setup all their PCs (eight units between both companies). Not really all that hard, but they give me a call when something doesn't work the way they want it to and I spend a few minutes on the phone to get it working the way they want it to or drive out there to fix a computer that is no longer receiving email, etc.
Well, their computers stopped passing traffic between computers directly, only allowing an internet connection to for each PC (no more file/printer sharing) so I went out last night. I spent 3.5 hours (slow computers, yes) changing computer names and workgroups, uninstalling and reinstalling tcp/ip and file/printer sharing, making sure they didn't eff things up AGAIN. While I was working, the computers stopped browsing. All of them. I could ping by IP and url, but couldn't browse by IP or url on any of them, so I grabbed my laptop out of my bag and connected it directly to the DSL modem, instantly getting a connection. I power cycled the router and rebooted the lappy several times each with no problems. I tried power cycling the router a few times, but no change. I grabbed a small 4-port hub, plugged a few cables in, and the computers connected were able to browse the workgroup just fine.
Great, bad router. I unplugged the power to the router, called the wife (technically working for her directly) and told her that the router was bad and that I would look into prices for a better router tomorrow. I found a linksys router (d-link seriously sucks in my eyes now) that I'm getting through work for cheap.
What happens? They call my home phone and leave messages like "OMG YOU BROKE IT." Well, I'm at work. I don't constantly check the messages at home when I'm here, and I shouldn't. Then they somehow find my work phone number and call me in a panic. "OMG WE CAN'T GET ON TEH INTARWEB!!" Well duh, sh|theads, I told you that last night. I WARNED you that you'll have to go back to the closet where the dsl modem and router are and plug a single computer directly into the dsl modem if you want an internet connection, and you'll have to switch cables manually to share the internet connection. What happens? "OMG HOW DO WE GET ONLINE!?" Duh, I TOLD the owner this last night over the phone after I'd finished for the night. Come to find out it's the owner herself who's in a panic going "NIK DID IT! HE DID SOMETHING TO GET US OFF THE INTERNET. GET HIM ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW." Yeah, lady, I'm personally responsible for the hardware failure? I don't think so. I'm responsible for busting my ass to get things fixed when they DO fail, which is what I'm doing, but christ...
:roll:
I TOLD them that I would be looking into RMA'ing the D-Link if not returning it and, come to think of it, I think I'll offer to buy it from them either way to help them keep costs down. I TOLD them that I'd also look into getting a better router at company cost, making zero profit, which I have done. I have to run over to the distributor to pick it up and run back out there to install it which I said I *might* be able to do tonight.
WTF. Why do I bother telling someone something important ahead of time if they're just going to ignore it or forget it and be unreasonable about it?
I'm going to get them up and running again, regardless. However, would it be wrong of me to tell them that from now on they'll need to find someone else to work on their technology solutions? Or should I just put up with it and stick with them for future issues? I really don't want to put up with this kind of bullsh|t.
Well, their computers stopped passing traffic between computers directly, only allowing an internet connection to for each PC (no more file/printer sharing) so I went out last night. I spent 3.5 hours (slow computers, yes) changing computer names and workgroups, uninstalling and reinstalling tcp/ip and file/printer sharing, making sure they didn't eff things up AGAIN. While I was working, the computers stopped browsing. All of them. I could ping by IP and url, but couldn't browse by IP or url on any of them, so I grabbed my laptop out of my bag and connected it directly to the DSL modem, instantly getting a connection. I power cycled the router and rebooted the lappy several times each with no problems. I tried power cycling the router a few times, but no change. I grabbed a small 4-port hub, plugged a few cables in, and the computers connected were able to browse the workgroup just fine.
Great, bad router. I unplugged the power to the router, called the wife (technically working for her directly) and told her that the router was bad and that I would look into prices for a better router tomorrow. I found a linksys router (d-link seriously sucks in my eyes now) that I'm getting through work for cheap.
What happens? They call my home phone and leave messages like "OMG YOU BROKE IT." Well, I'm at work. I don't constantly check the messages at home when I'm here, and I shouldn't. Then they somehow find my work phone number and call me in a panic. "OMG WE CAN'T GET ON TEH INTARWEB!!" Well duh, sh|theads, I told you that last night. I WARNED you that you'll have to go back to the closet where the dsl modem and router are and plug a single computer directly into the dsl modem if you want an internet connection, and you'll have to switch cables manually to share the internet connection. What happens? "OMG HOW DO WE GET ONLINE!?" Duh, I TOLD the owner this last night over the phone after I'd finished for the night. Come to find out it's the owner herself who's in a panic going "NIK DID IT! HE DID SOMETHING TO GET US OFF THE INTERNET. GET HIM ON THE PHONE RIGHT NOW." Yeah, lady, I'm personally responsible for the hardware failure? I don't think so. I'm responsible for busting my ass to get things fixed when they DO fail, which is what I'm doing, but christ...
:roll:
I TOLD them that I would be looking into RMA'ing the D-Link if not returning it and, come to think of it, I think I'll offer to buy it from them either way to help them keep costs down. I TOLD them that I'd also look into getting a better router at company cost, making zero profit, which I have done. I have to run over to the distributor to pick it up and run back out there to install it which I said I *might* be able to do tonight.
WTF. Why do I bother telling someone something important ahead of time if they're just going to ignore it or forget it and be unreasonable about it?
I'm going to get them up and running again, regardless. However, would it be wrong of me to tell them that from now on they'll need to find someone else to work on their technology solutions? Or should I just put up with it and stick with them for future issues? I really don't want to put up with this kind of bullsh|t.
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