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Renegret
May 26, 2007

THANK YOU FOR CALLING HELP DOG, INC.

YOUR POSITION IN THE QUEUE IS *pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt*


Cat Army Sworn Enemy
Hello thread,

I'm a lazy rear end in a top hat who didn't clear the queue when I noticed that our paging system froze. I just restarted the process and let 3 hour old pages go out to the field techs.

Oh boy I learned my lesson after the 4th angry phone call.

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Kurieg
Jul 19, 2012

RIP Lutri: 5/19/20-4/2/20
:blizz::gamefreak:

Proteus Jones posted:

I’m sure it works fine with your DSL.

Gotta love small town internet. :911: We lose service whenever there's a heavy storm.

ChubbyThePhat
Dec 22, 2006

Who nico nico needs anyone else
e: wrong thread

content: Ticket comes in from VoIP reseller. "Can you please enable port triggering on this client device?" I haven't presently had time to process what, exactly, the problem here is.

Proteus Jones
Feb 28, 2013



Kurieg posted:

Gotta love small town internet. :911: We lose service whenever there's a heavy storm.

Cripes, man, I was just joking. It’s not like I’d *wish* that on anyone. :smith:

Thom and the Heads
Oct 27, 2010

Farscape is actually pretty cool.

Kurieg posted:

Gotta love small town internet. :911: We lose service whenever there's a heavy storm.

good. that's incentive for you to unplug all of the electronics in your house

Actuarial Fables
Jul 29, 2014

Taco Defender
A tech ran out of our training session because an ice cream truck showed up.

I would have joined them if I had cash.

Kurieg
Jul 19, 2012

RIP Lutri: 5/19/20-4/2/20
:blizz::gamefreak:

Thom and the Heads posted:

good. that's incentive for you to unplug all of the electronics in your house

I'm not talking thunderstorms, just heavy rain and/or snow and wind.

Renegret
May 26, 2007

THANK YOU FOR CALLING HELP DOG, INC.

YOUR POSITION IN THE QUEUE IS *pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt*


Cat Army Sworn Enemy

Actuarial Fables posted:

A tech ran out of our training session because an ice cream truck showed up.

I would have joined them if I had cash.

If I give you money can you get me some?

You can even get something for yourself

ChubbyThePhat
Dec 22, 2006

Who nico nico needs anyone else

Kurieg posted:

I'm not talking thunderstorms, just heavy rain and/or snow and wind.

I actually spent months troubleshooting with an ISP to figure out that the internet was so poo poo at a site (huge packet loss) when it was windy. Yes. Exactly when it was windy, there would be crazy packet loss to entire connection death. I don't even remember what random thought lead us to notice that and actually check the weather in relation to the loss we were seeing.

nullfunction
Jan 24, 2005

Nap Ghost

ChubbyThePhat posted:

I actually spent months troubleshooting with an ISP to figure out that the internet was so poo poo at a site (huge packet loss) when it was windy. Yes. Exactly when it was windy, there would be crazy packet loss to entire connection death. I don't even remember what random thought lead us to notice that and actually check the weather in relation to the loss we were seeing.

One of our folks lives in a very rural area, and I had him test something for me yesterday and he just had a terrible time of it. Timeouts, drops, poor network performance, general instability. He acknowledges that his ISP is poo poo, so we're having someone else test, but he messages me this morning and now everything is humming along fine. It was sunny for him yesterday and is raining today. :shrug:

We had a point-to-point T1 circuit at the job I worked in college, and it would go down every time it even looked like it might rain.

Inspector_666
Oct 7, 2003

benny with the good hair

ChubbyThePhat posted:

I actually spent months troubleshooting with an ISP to figure out that the internet was so poo poo at a site (huge packet loss) when it was windy. Yes. Exactly when it was windy, there would be crazy packet loss to entire connection death. I don't even remember what random thought lead us to notice that and actually check the weather in relation to the loss we were seeing.

It took you months to figure out the wind was blowing all of the packets away? Wow go back to IT school.

blackswordca
Apr 25, 2010

Just 'cause you pour syrup on something doesn't make it pancakes!

ChubbyThePhat posted:

I actually spent months troubleshooting with an ISP to figure out that the internet was so poo poo at a site (huge packet loss) when it was windy. Yes. Exactly when it was windy, there would be crazy packet loss to entire connection death. I don't even remember what random thought lead us to notice that and actually check the weather in relation to the loss we were seeing.

We ran into the same issue with clients with point to point radio for internet. Turned out the tower the isp used for its reception equipment wasn't anchored properly and was swaying just enough on windy days to break contact.

Renegret
May 26, 2007

THANK YOU FOR CALLING HELP DOG, INC.

YOUR POSITION IN THE QUEUE IS *pbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbt*


Cat Army Sworn Enemy

ChubbyThePhat posted:

I actually spent months troubleshooting with an ISP to figure out that the internet was so poo poo at a site (huge packet loss) when it was windy. Yes. Exactly when it was windy, there would be crazy packet loss to entire connection death. I don't even remember what random thought lead us to notice that and actually check the weather in relation to the loss we were seeing.

I actually had a training with a brilliant man from SCTE who taught me why this happens and spoke at length about what's done to prevent it now.

In true renegret fashion, I forgot everything about it and I didn't write it down :v:

Nth Doctor
Sep 7, 2010

Darkrai used Dream Eater!
It's super effective!


The case of the 500 mile e-mail is always nice to trot out when these discussions get going
The Physical Layer is weird

wolrah
May 8, 2006
what?

Javid posted:

From a few pages back, but I kind of wonder if/when ISP support scripts are going to catch up with the increasing reality that people can reasonably not own any devices with a wired network port on them.
I'd assume there's a pretty significant overlap on the venn diagram of "People who don't own a normal PC" and "People who are happy with the ISP-provided modem/router/wifi combo device" so the situation probably doesn't come up all that often.

Those of us who care about using third-party routers tend to also be the types to have proper PCs or at least own a USB ethernet adapter.

evobatman
Jul 30, 2006

it means nothing, but says everything!
Pillbug
I worked for a TV streaming service, and it took a little while for CS reps to realize that there were people out there who subscribed to our service who did not own a laptop or desktop, but used an iPad or their smartphone as the only computing device in their life.

Ghostlight
Sep 25, 2009

maybe for one second you can pause; try to step into another person's perspective, and understand that a watermelon is cursing me



What's a computer?

Samizdata
May 14, 2007
I know on my buddy's Archer C9 wireless admin access is a toggle.

MisterOblivious
Mar 17, 2010

by sebmojo

evobatman posted:

I worked for a TV streaming service, and it took a little while for CS reps to realize that there were people out there who subscribed to our service who did not own a laptop or desktop, but used an iPad or their smartphone as the only computing device in their life.

"Kids are smart with computers they've had tech their whole lives!"

AlexDeGruven
Jun 29, 2007

Watch me pull my dongle out of this tiny box


Ghostlight posted:

What's a computer?

I hate that commercial so loving much. Fortunately, a friend of mine who works at Apple feels the same.

Thread content: waiting to see what a recruiter can come up with on the number I gave them. We shall see.

Wibla
Feb 16, 2011

MisterOblivious posted:

"Kids are smart with computers they've had tech their whole lives!"

I feel that the generation that grew up with the evolution of computing from Amiga/DOS through the early versions of Windows have a leg up on both the generation before AND after. Growing up with tinkering to get poo poo to work builds skills that are harder to develop otherwise. Younger people who grew up with modern(ish) computers and smartphones seem less savvy.

Of course this is just my impression and I could we wildly wrong.

Judge Schnoopy
Nov 2, 2005

dont even TRY it, pal
It's all about troubleshooting experience. The downside to technology that 'just works' is you never have to fix it, and if you don't fix it, you don't have to learn how it works.

But drat if these young kids aren't impressive with smartphone workflows. I can't Snapchat an Instagram and Kickstart my SEO to monetize my twitch stream of Twitter worth poo poo.

ChubbyThePhat
Dec 22, 2006

Who nico nico needs anyone else

Judge Schnoopy posted:

I can't Snapchat an Instagram and Kickstart my SEO to monetize my twitch stream of Twitter worth poo poo.

:psyboom:

dogstile
May 1, 2012

fucking clocks
how do they work?
I dunno, every teenager/kid i've ever come across just gets super frustrated when an error message pops up, just like everyone else I see.

The only exception to that is my group of friends, which consists of professional computer touchers or our girlfriends/wives.

Bigass Moth
Mar 6, 2004

I joined the #RXT REVOLUTION.
:boom:
he knows...
The problem is so many younger people use Apple products where troubleshooting quickly devolves into taking it to the Apple Store.

dogstile
May 1, 2012

fucking clocks
how do they work?
I admit that went through my mind as I was typing it, but I couldn't decide if my experience of apple users being particularly clueless was due to apple design or if i was just being stupid. I've never actually worked on apple products.

RFC2324
Jun 7, 2012

http 418

walled garden

Jaded Burnout
Jul 10, 2004


Walled garden plus the fused nature of the four parts a laptop is made of means that there’s very little troubleshooting to do, even if you’re Apple staff.

Narrow it down to the part or parts most likely to contain the problem and replace it.

This is why after my next repair my laptop will be something of a ship of Theseus, after only a few issues.

fishmech
Jul 16, 2006

by VideoGames
Salad Prong

Wibla posted:

I feel that the generation that grew up with the evolution of computing from Amiga/DOS through the early versions of Windows have a leg up on both the generation before AND after. Growing up with tinkering to get poo poo to work builds skills that are harder to develop otherwise. Younger people who grew up with modern(ish) computers and smartphones seem less savvy.

Of course this is just my impression and I could we wildly wrong.

Nahhhh nah. Here's the thing: a lot of people of that generation were just following poo poo other people told them for most of that time. You had a few people who really tinkered with it and then a bunch of people who'd just ask that person what to do. And if that thing to do didn't work they'd just give up rather than try to tinker with it themselves, or if they were paying a bit more attention they'd go bug the guy who knew things again.

It's kinda like how people idolize the Commodore 64/Apple II sort of machines where you could do a lot of direct coding and fussing around with stuff if you wanted to. But most of the people actually using the computers were loading in pre-made software and just running it, with occasional flailing around trying to change a few things before going back to just running the software as it was.

You get the exact same pattern today.

Junkiebev
Jan 18, 2002


Feel the progress.

a ticket came in

i cant figure out why my words are turning blue

Junkiebev
Jan 18, 2002


Feel the progress.

:catdrugs:

Sefal
Nov 8, 2011
Fun Shoe
I got my mother an mac and Iphone because its so much more easier for her to use and saves me headache down the line.

Personal Lucubrant
Oct 18, 2016

Just thinking about what to do with all the money I don't have.

Ghostlight posted:

What's a computer?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVN5C3x4ZZo

spog
Aug 7, 2004

It's your own bloody fault.
A windows update borked my budget tablet - something got corrupted in a UEFI file and it would bluescreen on startup.

No biggie - just flatten and reinstall, right?

1- boot from USB isn't enabled by default.
2- an arcane combination of power/volume buttons will sometimes get you into a recovery screen...but not always one with boot options.
3- Windows refuses to install on the existing drives and you need to fart around with DISKPART to get them usable
4- (ignore this one where I removed all the partitions from the USB drive instead of the internal drive and so had to redownload Win10 installation again)
5- Windows is a bit tricky to configure when you are stuck in portrait mode and the touchscreen doesn't work
6- Get it all working, run a few updates and then it dies utterly
7- spend another day trying different power options and doing 100 different versions of the vulcan nerve pinch to restart it
8 -Pull the rear cover off with my bare fingernails and a Starbucks card, disconnect the battery
9-Profit!

spiny
May 20, 2004

round and round and round

spog posted:

A windows update borked my budget tablet - something got corrupted in a UEFI file and it would bluescreen on startup.

No biggie - just flatten and reinstall, right?

1- boot from USB isn't enabled by default.
2- an arcane combination of power/volume buttons will sometimes get you into a recovery screen...but not always one with boot options.
3- Windows refuses to install on the existing drives and you need to fart around with DISKPART to get them usable
4- (ignore this one where I removed all the partitions from the USB drive instead of the internal drive and so had to redownload Win10 installation again)
5- Windows is a bit tricky to configure when you are stuck in portrait mode and the touchscreen doesn't work
6- Get it all working, run a few updates and then it dies utterly
7- spend another day trying different power options and doing 100 different versions of the vulcan nerve pinch to restart it
8 -Pull the rear cover off with my bare fingernails and a Starbucks card, disconnect the battery
9-Profit!

I had a similar problem with an older LinX tablet. It wanted to install the newest Win10 update, but there wasn't enough space, so it suggested adding a usb disk, which I did. The update started, but it turns out that the update takes longer to run than the battery charge lasts, and you guessed it, there is only one USB port, so I can either charge it, whereby it boots to a screen saying 'please insert USB upgrade media' or insert the USB stick, in which case the upgrade runs until the battery dies.

Through some swearing and hard resetting, I got it to rollback to the previous update, but no more win10 updates for that device.

Winifred Madgers
Feb 12, 2002

If it's still anything like the last few versions of Windows, you can delete downloaded files for previous updates as long as you're never going to need to roll one back. Can save a couple of gigs that way. I'm not sure if the disk space recovery function will do that or not.

Gerdalti
May 24, 2003

SPOON!

turn left hillary!! noo posted:

If it's still anything like the last few versions of Windows, you can delete downloaded files for previous updates as long as you're never going to need to roll one back. Can save a couple of gigs that way. I'm not sure if the disk space recovery function will do that or not.

Disk Cleanup will do that if you do the "clean system files" option. It's one of the few times Disk Cleanup is useful.

xsf421
Feb 17, 2011

Gerdalti posted:

Disk Cleanup will do that if you do the "clean system files" option. It's one of the few times Disk Cleanup is useful.



This is a production physical server without disk cleanup installed. When we asked when we could reboot it to install the feature, we were told no downtime was acceptable. Sometimes this place is incredible.

ilkhan
Oct 7, 2004

I LOVE Musk and his pro-first-amendment ways. X is the future.
To be fair the batch file to do that is only 5 lines long iirc. Turn off bits and win update services, delete the folder, start those two again. This is the software distribution folder, not sxs.

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spankmeister
Jun 15, 2008






xsf421 posted:



This is a production physical server without disk cleanup installed. When we asked when we could reboot it to install the feature, we were told no downtime was acceptable. Sometimes this place is incredible.

The trick is not to ask for downtime. The trick is to just tell them it's going to be down for X amount of time.

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