Nerm Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 Desja you're probably right...Comcast blew my mind when they came to install the cable, the guy said something along the lines of "I can install your internet for you today as well, it's really simple, all I have to do is plug the router into the wall, plug it into the modem and then run a special cable from the modem to the computer" I was like "Yeah, sounds easy enough, I'll go ahead and do it myself!" :rolleyes: Don't even get me started on Cable or Satellite installers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilMB3017 Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 They have to be able to replace just about anything from something as simple as a fuser to logic boards. We work in a get the customer back up and running no matter what kind of environment, so if a tech doesn't know the equipment he is working on then he learns it on site. That's actually really cool. In certain cases my job has been like that, but I hope my next choice has a more open environment like that. We tend to call out for assistance on certain things that I don't think we really need to. I mean, it's nice when we don't want to do something... I literally walked onto the CU campus last year (at 18 years old) told the System Admin at the Continuing Education department that I was a reviewer of top notch hardware and what not; one phone call to Paul, aka Raven, got me the job, haha. I had passwords to almost every system on the network and had all the permissions of Administrator for everything - I had powers to things I didn't even know existed until about the 5th month of working there. Yeah while that sounds all mighty and cool, a majority of my day was spent on stupid issues like cleaning the insides of some printers that were printing out masterpieces of smashed bugs. I'm not terribly surprised because a lot of jobs, even when I started working where I am, find it easier to just give admin/root access then to figure out on the fly more or less what they are going to need. For example, I have root on our back-end Unix (IBM AIX) system here. All I really do on it is create users. We could setup a user account with permissions just to make new users, but it's more trouble then its worth if your trust your employees. As this company grows, we're starting to segregate accounts and passwords more, not so much for security since we trust our employees, but for tracing back problems to a specific person so we can make them fix it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DevilMB3017 Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 Don't even get me started on Cable or Satellite installers. The FiOS tech left his USB drives at my house by mistake. I have all the core troubleshooting software they use. I'm sure it will be outdated soon, but it's nice knowing I could probably troubleshoot our own problems. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClayMeow Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 That's actually really cool. In certain cases my job has been like that, but I hope my next choice has a more open environment like that. We tend to call out for assistance on certain things that I don't think we really need to. I mean, it's nice when we don't want to do something... I'm not terribly surprised because a lot of jobs, even when I started working where I am, find it easier to just give admin/root access then to figure out on the fly more or less what they are going to need. For example, I have root on our back-end Unix (IBM AIX) system here. All I really do on it is create users. We could setup a user account with permissions just to make new users, but it's more trouble then its worth if your trust your employees. As this company grows, we're starting to segregate accounts and passwords more, not so much for security since we trust our employees, but for tracing back problems to a specific person so we can make them fix it. Agreed. When I started in my job, I had access to everything right away, and currently, even though I'm not a programmer and not the network administrator, I still have complete system/exchange/domain administrator rights on my everyday user account. Like you said, sometimes it's just easier that way. Do I need all the access? No. But it comes in handy when I need something and don't have to ask for it...or when someone else has a problem and the network admin isn't around. We take that approach with general users sometimes as well. For certain network shares "everyone" has complete write access. Why? Because some of the programs run require write access to 90% of the files, and to sit and figure out which individuals need access to which files would be a ridiculous waste of time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kamikaze_Badger Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 I'm not lying or anything I just hate when people like claymeow start stuff. I'm not a mean member I don't cause problems with people on here I just don't like when people assume stuff about me or lie. I'm here to give my opinions and not be judged on it. Isn't that the whole point of forums where we discuss our opinions about a topic and get along. It seems as though claymeow doesn't know that. How many times have you heard him call me names in other forums and I don't say nothing back he needs to learn to grow up <_< It's when you start spreading the wrong information or act like an idiot that people get upset. That just happens to be most of your posts, sadly. Though the fact that you think you need to argue on the internet to save face... HAH. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerm Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 That's actually really cool. In certain cases my job has been like that, but I hope my next choice has a more open environment like that. We tend to call out for assistance on certain things that I don't think we really need to. I mean, it's nice when we don't want to do something... It does make for a pretty freedom based work environment. The only bad thing is that if you can't figure it out on your own you don't have much in the way of support to help you out, but we screen employee's pretty well to make sure they are going to be able to handle it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
s0rd3z Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 (edited) I am totally self taught, no formal education in computers or server administration. Been taking them apart, fixing them, virus removal, software troubleshooting etc both under the table since I was like sixteen (i'm 31 in like five days now) and for two different companies over the last four years. My experience starts from the age of 10 with 486 and appleII machines heh. I am currently the only PC tech here besides my boss who has no time to do what I do. I administer the small business server, helped build the name servers for the ISP portion of our company, build new computers for customers, phone support.... you name it I do it. I even helped program our dns servers (though I don't know to much about it except when it comes to forward and reverse lookups, A records, PTR's etc. ) and spent some time trying to hack it (new port spoofing rocks, I couldn't hack it!) May basic point though is that we have interviewed people both here and at the older store where I worked that had A+ cert and some other things. (and this was a small store with the owner and myself the only employee's, and the company I work for now is still a small local ISP/two-way/phone systems/pc repair etc. But probably the biggest in the area next to timewarner and verizon) The problem with them is real world application, that's the big thing. Most of what I do, and what we need from any new employee, is just not covered with comptia A+ cert and really means nothing to us at this point. So we don't even pay attention to A+ cert anymore and we look at real world experience, I really don't think there is a college class that can teach what I do. At least not that I know of. Not saying they are all worthless, it's just how to practically apply the information given to you in the classes can really only be learned through doing IMO. If I was considering any certs at this point, I would get certified for mac repairs, mcse, etc etc. But at this point in time, i'm way to busy building crappy little microtiks, and fixing PC's for customers and being on call after hours, that I wouldn't have the time for an actual class. So I spend 1/2 of my free time researching new hardware to keep up to date, the other 1/4 learning more server/software/programming crap, and I get about 1/4 of my free time to myself... which sucks lol. Anyway, my suggestion to people is to really focus and highlight your real world experience in interviews and on your resume cause most companies that I know of will go by that and then just send you to get certs on their dime if they think they want you to have them. Edited September 10, 2008 by s0rd3z Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desja Posted September 10, 2008 Posted September 10, 2008 Don't even get me started on Cable or Satellite installers. Hey not all of them are stupid lol I was a cable tech for shaw and a sat installer for bell express view. I currently install for a point to multipoint wireless company (broadband for rural area's better the satellite internet) I don't just do installs I also do ip address allocation and some small sys admin stuff. So not every installer out there is retarded just a large majority lol. Out of the 6 installers we had at shaw there were at least 2 of us that made ethernet cables correctly lol. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nerm Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Hey not all of them are stupid lol I was a cable tech for shaw and a sat installer for bell express view. I currently install for a point to multipoint wireless company (broadband for rural area's better the satellite internet) I don't just do installs I also do ip address allocation and some small sys admin stuff. So not every installer out there is retarded just a large majority lol. Out of the 6 installers we had at shaw there were at least 2 of us that made ethernet cables correctly lol. I didn't mean to make all of them sound bad. Let me put it this way. I have only met one cable/satellite installer than new their whooza from their whaatza. He now works for the same company as me. lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queenz Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Cable and satellite installers aren't dumb but I've had a fare share of them go into my kitchen and help themselves to beverages in my fridge without asking. Ofcoarse my mom said something lol Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bosco Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Cable and satellite installers aren't dumb but I've had a fare share of them go into my kitchen and help themselves to beverages in my fridge without asking. Ofcoarse my mom said something lol Wow that would be the day they would find themselves being thrown out on their butt, that is unreal <_> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zertz Posted September 11, 2008 Posted September 11, 2008 Out of the 6 installers we had at shaw there were at least 2 of us that made ethernet cables correctly lol. When you have the tool to do it and know your colors that's so easy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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