On a normal day, our IT support and computer repair specialists are on-call for our client’s needs 24/7, but only for existing clients. Well, this weekend wasn’t exactly a normal weekend because the stars aligned. Our Lead Network Engineer, Kevin, was on call…and he wasn’t busy when the emergency call came in.
The call was from a distraught office manager for a dental office in a nearby town. In trying to train a new employee in her role and installing some software from the web, the machine ended up unable to access the Internet. All of the other machines were fine, but the one in question was the only machine used to take customer payments.
The IT support tech walked her through a quick system restore, but it wasn’t going to be that easy. He went onsite on Saturday morning, not knowing what to expect or what type of repairs might be needed. The troubleshooting started, and the anxious office manager waited to see what she had done.
Nothing.
It wasn’t her fault, it was bad equipment mixed with bad timing. Here’s an example of what he found under the desk:(we don’t use client site images without permission)
Generally, when you see a cable like this, it’s hand-made, normally by a corporate technician that has free time on his hands, directed by his management to use up the spare cable left over from their last wiring job.
They work.
As usual, just because something works doesn’t mean it’s optimal. Here’s what a more professional cable looks like:
While a hand-made cable can include a rubberized boot like this, they usually don’t, because that can cut the cost-effectiveness of making cables from scratch. What it does, however, is prevent the cable from being crimped, expecially around the clear plastic jack.
The it support specialist quickly realized the cable could be a problem and tested his theory by running the cable from the computer next to the troublemaker into it.
Bingo. Internet.
The computer repair wasn’t finished yet, though. The tech then switched the whole cable to eliminate the network jack in the wall. Turns out, it was just the cable.
Turns out, we aren’t the normal IT support service for this client. They have an MSP that takes care of their needs, but the office manager wasn’t able to contact them and found us on the web.
We were in and out in a little over an hour and the dentist office was out over a hundred dollars for the visit.
The Managed Service Provider saved a few bucks on the cable, though.
If you’re looking for solid IT support services or computer repair in Wichita and surrounding areas, give us a call to setup a time where we can evaluate your needs. We are a Wichita-local, veteran-owned IT support firm that has been helping small to medium businesses succeed for over ten years. We can provide 24/7 service with or without a contract.
(316) 210-7112