Fnord.

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

Helping out the old job again. I had to call a place and assist a new tech.

Server and workstations moved to new office, workstations can't see server. The problem was simple: The server's static IP was wrong, but....

a) The tech had no clue this was the problem.
b) The tech had no idea what a netmask was or how it related to IP addressing.
c) When I tried to explain in the simplest way possible ("If a block in the subnet mask has a 255, that block will be the same in every IP on the network") the tech didn't even TRY to listen to me.

And these are the guys doing my job, serving my former customers. Shit. Shit Shit Shit.

Comments

Something similiar but I was the client talking to support....

[linuxnut.livejournal.com]

Problem: No access to the internet.

Setup: Incoming DSL connected to Netopia DSL Modem/Router/Switch combo box. With this setup, the Netopia gets the public IP. The computers on the lan are handed DHCP non-routable ip's (192.168.1.*)... Pretty standard setup.

The Tech support guy says do this: Disconnect all the computers from netopia but one (must be windows based system). Okay, now that that is done, go into the network settings on that computer and type this address into the place where you put the IP address... He then gives me the routable IP that is assigned to the netopia device. When I tell him that this wont work because the modem is using the address he gets a REALLY BAD attitude and pretty much says he is the technical support tech. and if I am unwilling to perform these simple tasks he would not be able to help me, then asked for my supervisor.

He simply would not accept that two systems cannot have the same IP address (the netopia and my computer).

Re: Something similiar but I was the client talking to support....

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Meh. Do it anyway, then when it doesn't work he'll have to move on to another part of the troubleshooting script. Eventually he'll run out of his daily allocation of neurons and have to pass you to second-level support, who might actually listen.

Re: Something similiar but I was the client talking to support....

[linuxnut.livejournal.com]

Actually, the luser (I feel I can say this as I am also tech support...) never bothered to check the status of the line and when he finally checked (40 mins. into the call) he noticed that there was an outage in my area)....

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

Send a fax to the management of the former customer, offering your highly-priced consulting service, as their technical staff were unable to resolve the problem or even comprehend the problem because they were insufficiently knowledgeable?