Network administrators who can't fix their own problems 1

[aznluvsmc]

Hi,

In my company we have a dept. that handles client side issues and another dept. that handles network/server issues.

I've noticed that many of the people in the network dept. can't seem to fix their own problems that occur on their own client PCs. They tend to have to call us to fix it. Does this show a lack of skill?

Steven S.
MCSA
A+, Network+, Server+, i-Net+

 

[EBGreen]

It may be that they were told not to. Some businesses don't want pc users monkeying around on their machines even if (and sometimes especially if) they know what they are doing.

[blue]"Well, once again my friend, we find that science is a two headed beast. One head is nice, it gives us aspirin and other modern conveniences,...but the other head of science is BAD! Oh, beware the other head of science, Arthur; it bites!!" - The Tick[/blue]

 

[CajunCenturion]

Only if you expect someone to know everything. This industry is too broad and covers too many bases for anyone to know even half of what is going on.

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that just because you know something, that everyone should know it, even if that someone is also in the IT profession.

Good Luck
--------------
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[OhioBill]

I agree with TomThumpKP and CajunCenturion. I would also like to add that you probably notice the problems the network team needs help with instead of those that are solved without assistance.

 

[zebratech]

Having worked in a network control center for years I can verify that fixing of our own desktops was frowned upon. We were getting paid to fix NETWORK problems, even though for the most part we did it anyway for convenience and speed sake.



Unix IS user friendly... It's just selective about who its friends are.

 

[Mshen]

hey there,

I have noticed some high profile networking kings have problems with some specific pc hardwares.
of coz, they are paid very well.
although some pc hardware problems not very difficult for me.

that's life.

cheers

 

[sedj]

aznluvsmc :

Can you fix all the network-side problems the netowrk team can ?

I'm a developer but know squat about hardware and *PC config*. Why should I ? I'm a programmer, not a systems administror. I don't expect them to know how to program to the depth that I can ...

 

[jrbarnett]

Good point sedj

At a former employer, the IT staff's computers were often the least well looked after and the most in need of a reinstall because they spent more time dealing with the staff / student computer problems in the department, and needed reliable computers for running network admin tools etc. Personally, I would have loved to re image a couple of the IT machines but didn't have time to do so as we were paid to support the staff's computer equipment, our own equipment came a long way down the priority pecking order.

Therefore, while as TomThumbKP suggests it may be that they can't according to job descriptions or access rights, it may also be that they don't have sufficient time to do so given their own responsibilities and workload.

John

 

[SGTRawlins]

This may be a time factor issue, and it also helps the managment of budgets etc. Networks admins more than likely do not have time to fix thier client side issues and if they do have the time they are more liekly more expensive than a deskop support worker.

It is benificial to the company both time and monatary wise to use thier desktop support staff for these issue.

 

[willir]

So were are agreed??

How and what a network admin fixes depends on the culture of the business, the skill set of the admin and priorities.

Admins can be strong on OS, protocols but know squat about hardware. Or they may have become admins by working their way up from desktop.

There are also different types of admins - some dont know much more than setting passwords and security. Others have a great depth of knowledge.

Desktops may be locked down so only desktop can address problems, or the admin may have to keys to this too.

Admins also tend to need a workstation different than regular employees - for example, monitor the network 24x7 with alarms / paging capability.

I guess it depends on where you work...

 

[manarth]

A number of the places I've worked at use a specific method for installing desktops - XP is installed 'just so', with the users' profile pointing here, and xxx programs installed.....it's not necessarily something the network team will have experience or the necessary toolkit to resolve.


<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]

 

[SemperFiDownUnda]

I've got to agree with many points.
In some cases yes I could fix my computer but calling the right tech guys/gals to do it is
1) probably faster (they know their job better then I know their job0
2) cost less (they can fix my machine while I'm doing something else and they are on a lesser wage then me)
3) if I did it....it would be a hack and fixing the hack later would probably cost more then fixing it right the first time.


Hope I've been helpful,
Wayne Francis

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

 

[gbaughma]

See, now, I'm on the other side of the picture.

I'm a one man shop, essentially; the "IT Guy" for a remote campus.

I do network administration, cabling, PC repair, client troubleshooting *AND* web intranet development, custom software, the works. Sometimes it would be nice to say "Oh, sorry, that's a PC hardware problem.. that's Jimbob's job."

Oh, and since I'm the computer guy, that also means I install and administer the phone system (about 100 phones), security cameras, and electronic doors.

The downside is when people come into my office and say "I moved offices last night (or over the weekend), I need my phone and computer moved right now." Doesn't matter that I might have a server belching magical blue smoke, they can't check their voicemail from where they moved their desk!

I guess what I'm trying to say is, let the proper department do their job. I once worked in a union shop where I wasn't allowed to hang a picture on my wall; I had to call the union guys to come in and drive the nail. Guess how fast *that* happened? But it was a CLM (Career Limiting Move) if I put the picture hanger on the wall myself. I was crossing joblines.


Just my $.02

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify it's owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[aznluvsmc]

Ok, agreed.. Let the departments do their own job.

Steven S.
MCSA
A+, Network+, Server+, i-Net+, Security+

 

[SemperFiDownUnda]

gbaughma - in your situation I'd have service level agreements in place. Policies that explain response times etc.

If you have these things in place then you can fall back on them when people expect you to drop everything because they didn't prepare properly.

Piss Poor Planning on their part does not constitute an emergency on your part.

Not being sexist here, as I'm a male too, but men tend to have a harder time organising multiple things at one time. Policies and Procedures can greatly easy that situation by letting the customer know what they can expect but still give you some freedom to do it the old way if you've got no other fire burning at the moment.

Hope I've been helpful,
Wayne Francis

If you want to get the best response to a question, please check out FAQ222-2244 first

 

[mattaw]

To test the water here, who has found that the more someone says they know everything, the more wary you should be of them?

I would say a know a lot, but that just makes me feel how much I don't actually know! (speaking from experience of C++, linux kernel coding in C (still don't know much about how an OS works .. driver stuff mostly) network admin (solaris and linux, but again there is too much to know)).

Sheesh thinking about it I take back the statement I know a lot!

Matthew

The Universe: God's novelty screensaver?

 

[Tarwn]

mattaw, tat a pretty valid point from my point of view. I know or havwe used something like 15-20 languages in my short career, have developed all kinds of software systems, trained people, etc and I still feel wierd saying I am an expert at anything, because the more I know about any one thing the more I feel I should know...
I have rarely seen a self-declared expert in a general field who is better than average.

-T

[sub]01000111 01101111 01110100 00100000 01000011 01101111 01100110 01100110 01100101 01100101 00111111[/sub]
The never-completed website:

http://www.tiernok.com/

 

[gbaughma]

The more you know, the more you realize you don't know (Socrates).

I think that the more you know about computers, the more you realize you can NEVER know everything... but, as Bob as my witness... as long as I have Google...



Just my $.02

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify it's owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[SemperFiDownUnda]

as an instructor for Microsoft courses I used to give a opening statement about me for every class. One important part of the statement would go something like this.

"I've been programming in [insert course language here] for about [insert # of years of experiense]. I don't know everything but I do have good resources via my colleges up stairs and know many good places to look for answers. I'm sure I'll learn a few new things from some of you and ideas we'll discuss over the next week. Don't be afraid to ask a question even if you don't think it applies to everyone. If it doesn't I'll tell you and we can go over your questions before, after class or during the breaks...."

My experience is that I can learn something from even the most basic person in a field because they may know a certian trick I've never heard of before or they might just have a different way of looking at things.

For those that know VB the first time I saw this I bit my lip from telling the student that it wouldn't work and thankfully I did

Mid$(sKey,5,4) = "Qr3T"

/

I've since had fun trying to track down why you can use Mid() on the left of an equation but Left() and Right() you can't.

 

[sha76]

I don't think I've ever been on a good course where the instructor hasn't learnt something. If the instructor isn't open to new ways of looking at a problem, or not willing to deviate slightly from lesson plans to consider real life scenarios then you'll learn only slightly more than you would from a book.

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert