Spent 3 whole days troubleshooting a network switch at the shop that was just a bad patch cable.

I was ready to replace the whole server rack until my part-time guy wiggled the cord near the wall and the lights flickered, has anyone else had a super simple fix hide from them for that long?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair_martin12d ago

Oh man, "nudged the patch panel with his backpack" is the most relatable thing I've read all week. I had a similar nightmare a few years back where our whole office network kept dropping out randomly for about two days. I was like you, swapping out switches, checking DNS settings, the whole deal. Finally, I was just sitting there staring at the server rack about to throw my laptop against the wall, and I accidentally kicked the power strip under the desk. The whole thing flickered and came back solid. Turns out one of the PSU cables was just barely sitting in the outlet, not even fully pushed in. I mean, idk why we always assume it's something super complex when half the time it's just a loose connection or a bad cable. Makes you feel like a real dummy, but hey, at least it was a cheap fix.

alexk6011d ago

Nope, that is peak IT right there. @blair_martin kicking the power strip is the exact kind of dumb luck this job runs on. Been there, felt like a total clown.

ray_campbell4612d ago

Three whole days. Man, I would have been pulling my hair out by day two. Had a similar thing happen with a POS system at a buddy's diner once. We were swapping out network cards and reterminating cables all weekend. The owner's nephew came in to grab a soda, nudged the patch panel with his backpack, and the whole thing came back to life. Just a loose coupler on the back. Felt like such a fool.