So a client of mine specs out a network that has plenty of wireless capacity for all the laptops that wander around their office building.  So we get everything setup and things are working great… for years!

Mobile office workers are always this happy.

The other day I was in the office working on some projects and noticed that the laptops have stopped wandering around the complex.

"You all seem a bit more angry than the last time I was here."

Looking around, it became apparent that all laptops now had a networking cable.  It was easy to see why people were so upset.

Since I was working in the boss’ office, I couldn’t help but ask why everybody was suddenly cabled down.  He noted that they got a new copy machine and that the copy machine tech noted that if they didn’t pay for the wireless capabilities in their copy machine, they would all have to connect to the network via wire.

Apparently these guys know their skubala when it comes to computer networking.

So they hired a low voltage wiring company to come in and put drops in for each laptop and plug them into the switches I had racked up in the IT closet.

And all that time I thought 24 port switch I used for the server, their one network printer, and the WAP was overkill. Boy was I wrong!

So of course, I asked him for a go at printing over the wireless network.  Of course, I get approval… the boss really wants his happy office back.  So I pop the wire out, jump onto the wireless network and print.  And voila!  It prints.

It was like that moment when the world realized that Susan Boyle could sing really, really, really well.

According to the boss, that was $1,200 very unwell spent.

So today I went to a client’s shop to convert a T1 from one carrier to another.  I know right?  T1?  Today?  This shop runs three POS computers… on a T1.  But oh well… I guess.  And for those of you who are thinking about T1′s fantastic multiplexing capabilities, shut it.  They have two VOIP phones in the store that won’t really take advantage of T1′s voice capabilities.

We haven't even begun to talk about all the other fancy and expensive switching / routing gear... for their three computers.

This conversion is simple; remove the cable going to the router from AT&T’s line to Qwest’s line.  But there is one small problem.  Qwest hasn’t been in business for quite some time.  But that sure didn’t stop Century Link from using old Qwest branded hardware!

The best part of the day comes in the second half of the install.  They wanted an emergency POTS line installed in the store.  I patch the line into the DMARC and pull out the $10 POTS telephone that they supplied me with.  The manager says “what is that?”  I said “a telephone!” She’s 20 years old and is pretty sure that she has never seen a phone that looks like this:

Endangered species.

I actually had to show her how to use it as apparently what she is used to using is a lot different.

Well OK, these phone are different. I'll give her that.

After a few training sessions on how to hang up the phone and dial the phone, we were good to go.  As I was packing up my gear, the manager had an epiphany.

Like, oh wait!

She says to me “I think we have a phone like that behind those storage tubs under the register.”  So I crawl under the register, and move the tubs out of the way.  What do I find?  A cheap POTS phone tied up with tape and rope.  I explained to her that the phone that was, um, tied up was in fact a POTS phone and probably could have been used instead of buying a new phone.

But I had to ask “Why is it tied up like this and behind the storage tubs?” (covered in dust… it’s been there a while).  It turns out that she didn’t know what it was.  So being fearful that it was some kind of spy device, she disconnected it from the wall, tied it up and threw it back there so that it wouldn’t scare her or the employees anymore.

In that moment, I really needed three or for more hands to effectively face palm myself.