I thought you tested this

We were preparing for clients to be permanently onsite who required Internet access. We don't want them on our network and they don't want to be on ours either for security reasons, so we provide a simple consumer grade broadband line. It's just the ISP router to a dumb unmanaged switch wired up to each desk, plain and simple. I test each socket myself, every single one is fine.

Someone from the client comes in, they spend the day doing whatever and nothing is brought up. They proceed with their plans to get their staff come in, equipment is delivered, they set up their own desks. We're literally providing furniture and a basic home network style basic ISP line. Everything else is theirs.

They complain that they can't get online, and fall back to whatever previous arrangement they had so they're not in the office. I test each port with my laptop, again working perfectly. Report this and suggest to discuss in person if they can replicate it.

Someone comes back in. No fault found. Cool. They get their people to come back in.

"It's not working again". Test with my laptop, demonstrate Internet is working immediately. I explain how there's nothing special about this network whatsoever. No firewall no proxy no filter no nothing. It's just connect and go, there's nothing to configure or enable or log into. It just works, for me. I suggest contacting their own IT for support.

In the background on our side there's some grumbling and "you said you tested this" and "the client are unhappy and raising it to our management". Shrug. WorksOnMyMachine.jpg

Client falls back to previous working arrangements again, WFH I assume. Their IT comes in, we meet and demonstrate both our laptops "just work". We have a brief polite, ultra professional conversation about next steps. You know the type. Neutral tone, customer service voice, and the unspoken communication that this is either a you problem or an us problem, and it's not us.

Client has been updated that their IT confirms Internet is working. Client returns to site. Internet not working. Louder and stronger grumblings from our managers. Shrug. WorksOnTheirMachineToo.jpg

Nonetheless this is obviously all my fault so I go to meet the client. They're all back in the office, again none of them can get online. I take my laptop, plug it in. INTERNET, yaaaaaaaay. Client team manager remains absolutely professional, but is strong in their desire to "get to the bottom of this so we can proceed as agreed in The Contract, obviously we can't work here if none of us can get online"

"Well. Except Bob"

Huh?

"Bob's the only one who's been getting online"

Oh well good for Bob. Well done Bob. Bob's actually piqued my interest. This is no longer a you problem, this is now a puzzle. Now I'm actually personally invested.

I drop all assumptions about their equipment, which again they installed and set up themselves. Their hardware, them wiring it all up, so it's my first time actually looking properly. I Ask Permission to Investigate Their Equipment, express that I will do my best but I am limited by not having any account on their systems, let alone admin. This is agreed and reinforces that I would never have touched their gear without their authorisation.

I do some basic tests on Bob's laptop under his account. All working fine as reported. Move onto the next desk, not working. I go to check the obvious, physical connection, and wtf is this?

This isn't that long ago but it's the first time I've seen one of those USB-C laptop charger/docks. The ones with HDMI, extra USB, network adapter, 3.5mm audio etc. My brain halts for a moment. It calls back to the 2000s when a friend had a PCI card, he had no end of intermittent problems with this multiple function gigabit network card, USB and Firewire device.

It's New. And it's trying to Do More Than One Thing At A Time. I immediately hate it.

"Everyone please disconnect your docks, except for this desk I am at now"

Client staff disconnect, including Bob. The laptop I'm sitting at can all of a sudden pull up a Google search for asdfghjkl.

"I'll disconnect this one, the person on the next desk please connect and try your internet"

asdfghjkl, immediate search results displayed. I tell client manager I believe I know what next steps are and I'll email their IT. She's obviously tech literate enough to know I've proved something and seems confident in me now, some of the business language tone softens.

I email. "Hey client IT. I think it's your docks and their network adapter. They do work, but only one at a time. As its your kit I'll leave it with you to confirm but that's my suspicion. Honestly I don't want to be right about this but hope this helps"

A little while later I hear back client IT updated firmware on all the desks and the problems disappear. Management scoff, obviously it was a them issue all along. I get exactly the amount of apologies and congratulations I've come to expect.

I did get one thank you though. From the client manager. A sincere one, even through the professional mask.