Wait, you're an engineer?!

[whitewolf3399.livejournal.com]

So, today started off well... NOT!!!

(All identifying info changed to protect the idiotic)

Cast
Me: *Waves*
PE: Provisioning Engineer w/ CCNP Cert
SM: Customer Service Manager
IC: Idiot Customer
AR: Sales Weasel

*Phone rings*

Me: "Huge-ass ISP and Telco this is whitewolf"
SM: Hey whitewolf, this is 'SM', also on the call with us are 'PE', 'IC' and 'AR'. We need your help with a little situation.
Me: Ok, what's up?
PE: We need you to order a new router for the customer 'IC'. The existing 1721 he's got isn't working right. We need to get him a new 1821.
Me: Uhm... We don't do that here. We're maintenance, I can get a new 1721 but no way can I ok a 1821. When was his service turned up?
PE: A week ago
Me: WTF?! Whats wrong with it?
IC: It's responding to pings
Me: Excuse me?
IC: You assigned me IP address 192.168.1.0/28
Me: Right and you can't ping your LAN segment?
IC: No, what happens is when I ping 192.168.1.15 I get a reply from 192.168.1.1 (1721 LAn).
Me: ...
Me: And thats a problem because...
PE: It shouldn't do that, we need to get him a new router that properly handles ICMP
ME: But it is working as i....
IC: NO IT'S NOT!! IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!!! It's a security problem!!
PE: How do you figure thats ok?
Me: Look, he's got one router connected to us and his LAN right? LAN IP 192.168.1.1, other IP's assigned out to his LAN and his workstations are using the router LAN IP as default gateway right?
PE: Yes...
IC: Correct...
Me: You're pinging the broadcast range for that subnet... router hears it and answers back. Whats wrong with that?
IC & PE: Ooooooh!!! (You can almost see the lightbulb go off)

Comments

[vortex.livejournal.com]

For the record...most routers come with a "Stealth Mode" that is supposed to ignore ping requests. Prevents scanners that start out with pings from discovering that the IP is in use...

[whitewolf3399.livejournal.com]

I wound up turning that on for them just to ease their minds... Technically no one should be able to see that equipment at all unless they have access to the customers LAN. It's an MPLS VPN across our cloud all private IP...

[vortex.livejournal.com]

Hah!

Seeing as at least one of them was an engineer, I would have figured they could have done that themselves!...

[genjutsu-01.livejournal.com]

Posts like this make me miss not working as tech support anymore *sniff*

[rev-thumper.livejournal.com]

I had not heard that you could get a CCNP out of a box of CrackerJacks now.

[whitewolf3399.livejournal.com]

You'd be surprised the number of folks we have here with various certs who are unable to put into practice the book theory they've learned...

It's like some kind of short circuit in their brain when it comes to applying all that theory.

[shirenomad]

I'll give the IC points for figuring out what you meant once you started explaining in depth; most customers wouldn't know what a gateway or subnet.

I will take said points from the PE for needing the same explanation.

[crazdgamer.livejournal.com]

Take note that "AR", the Sales Weasel, offers no contribution to this conversation.

Draw your own conclusions.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

They've actually found one intelligent enough to shut up when they're out of their depth? Whoa.