I don't know what this program does, let's just uninstall it without asking anyone if it's safe to do so.. Tech Support

I don't know what this program does, let's just uninstall it without asking anyone if it's safe to do so..
Don't care if I am the sysadmin and the Exchange server just died...I have a bus to catch.
The Hunt of the hidden WiFi
The chronicles of IT-Freely and a Bo$$ - part 6: the keyboard and mouse and the last straw

I don't know what this program does, let's just uninstall it without asking anyone if it's safe to do so..

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 06:18 AM PDT

Years ago, I was working a position supporting some data entry software. My job was strictly to help users having issues with said software. When it came to things like managing the database or the server it resided on, that was a completely different team.

Every once in a while, I would receive an email from the vendor whose software I was supporting that the drive on the database server was getting full and need space added. I would pass this information onto the server team and space would get added. No problem.

Well one day, everything halted. The database crashed, users were calling, screaming at me that they couldn't log into the data entry software that I was supporting.

It turns out the drive the database was on happened to be completely full. Why did this happen you may ask?

Some guy on the server team was poking around and found the database drive monitoring software installed by our vendor and didn't recognize the program. Fearing that it was malware, he removed it without telling anyone.

Needless to say, he wasn't around much longer after that.

submitted by /u/boredrandomguy
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Don't care if I am the sysadmin and the Exchange server just died...I have a bus to catch.

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 08:15 AM PDT

So quite a few years ago our company did a split. A new sysadmin was hired for the 'other' company, but our sysadmin (and myself on occasion) had to help out so that things could run smoothly. (We were salaried too, so guess who didn't get anything extra...but that is another story).

Anyway, the new sysadmin (whom was hired without any input from the actual IT department, I might add), hated Microsoft. So in the background he was quietly removing systems, and replacing with Unix systems.

Well in one of his many changes, he buggered up Exchange server. No one quite knows how, or what he did but Exchange was effectively gone. Did I mention he shut down the backup software because it was a Microsoft product? So no recent backups either.

Also, he couldn't drive. He took the bus from another city every day (normally not a problem). Anyway we get calls from the users of the 'other' company that they can't access email. Do some checking and Exchange seems to have disappeared, although the server itself still shows on the network. This guy isn't saying anything other than 'it just stopped working'. Odd though how he didn't tell us that Exchange was down...it was the panicking users.

So we head over, and have a look, did some troubleshooting and realize that we need to rebuild Exchange. We have backups from a week or so previous (before he began his mucking about). We go to each machine and export what they have to a PST, then re-import or whatnot (sorry I can't remember the actual details rebuilding so I might not be accurate here).

We tell the powers that be, that this is a big job will most likely take all though the night to get it done, tested etc (would have only been an hour if the backups were intact, but that's not my business haha).

So the new sysadmin says, well his bus is leaving shortly, so he has to go. We say 'you are the sysadmin, this is your responsibility, you need to get this fixed....work through the night if need be'.

He said 'nope I have a bus to catch' and just left. So me and our sysadmin were left to build everything through the night.

So one would think that he would get fired. Nope...because the CEO who hired this idiot didn't want to look bad, kept him and told us that we need to be more considerate that he doesn't own a car. I said how about he be considerate that I have a family and a baby girl I like to see every day but couldn't because i had to fix his mess?

Anyway, he quit a couple weeks later. We reverted everything back to what he had it before.

Shortly after he asked me for a reference for a job. I said no. He got the job (good storyteller I assume) and now says he manages a network of 25,000 machines. Ummmm yeah.

TL;DR: same as title.

submitted by /u/Fistandantalus
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The Hunt of the hidden WiFi

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 10:00 AM PDT

So this happened earlier today. Customer was complaining about some clients not being able to access anything when connected to the Corportate WiFi. I can remotely see that two of the APs are disconnected (AP1 and AP2) so I decide to go on site to investigate.

On site I can instantly see that someone has removed AP1 from the ceiling. I ask around but no one seems to know anything about this missing AP. This sounds promising...

I go to the clients who is having difficulties with the WiFi. I can see it's connected to the correct WiFi - but not getting any access to the Internet. Other clients nearby are working fine, so it must be a client issue (yeah right...). AP2 is located in this clients office, so during a reboot I see that someone has been messing around with AP2 (the second AP which was shown as disconnected). I ask the client in this office, he knows nothing.

I see someone has plugged it to a PoE injector to AP2 (but we have a PoE switch) the LAN side is connected to a RJ45 socket labeled T21-22, meaning the socets are intended for phones. - So probably the client is connecting to this AP which is transmitting an SSID but is not connected to the network.

I remove the PoE Injector and attach the ethernet cable to the correct outlet. AP comes online.

So back to the client. It's connecting to the WiFi, but it's still not getting Internet Access. I do an ipconfig and see that another DHCP-server has given the client an IP 192.168.1.1. What's going on - why is there another DHCP-server here. I try to access the Gateway 1.1 and see that it's a 4g-router. It's all making a bit more sense now. I go around

So now starts the fun bit - where the hell is this 4G-router, and whose brilliant idea was it to set it up and set the exact same SSID, encryption and password (I already know who's behind this).
I go to the guy in the warehouse (this is one of those guys who 'knows IT'. I politely ask him if he has seen the missing AP1 - he says no.

I then go to the Production PC, lo-and-behold, the 4G router. I and the 'knows-it"-guy exchange looks as i disconnect that 4g-crap and correctly connect the PC to the Corp. Network.

Back to the original client who was having problems. All is good now! But where the hell is AP1? It took me an hour to find it. It was f*cking hidden behind some rubble in the warehouse.
I reconnected AP1 and all is good now. I informed the CEO that someone has been messing with the network, but it's all fixed now. I gave him the 4g-router and told him that the owner of the 4G-router will have to step forward if the want to get back the 4g-router.

My theory is this: 'Knows-IT' wanted better coverage of the WiFi in the Warehouse - so he set up his private 4G-router and configured it to have the same SSID, encryption and credentials as the Corporate SSID. When realizing that his router in fact is not being able to access the resoruces on the network. He then must have come to the conclusion that AP1 must be interferring with his 4G-AP - so he simply disconnected it from the ceiling.
When realizing that he as messed up the network and then not know how to restore everything, he must have simply hid the evidence.

Why 'Knows-IT' has messed with AP2 - I do not know.

I told 'Knows-IT' to please not touch the network devices in the corporate network.

He did not respond.

submitted by /u/_djur_
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The chronicles of IT-Freely and a Bo$$ - part 6: the keyboard and mouse and the last straw

Posted: 02 Apr 2019 09:21 AM PDT

Later on during my tenure, bo$$ brought forth a project last minute again. He did that all the time and this would be no exception. He wanted to keep track of this type of project as it occurred quite a bit given the type of business we were in, and decided to craft a document to house all the data. I will also mention I had to sit and stare at the damn document while he tweaked font, size, color, etc. I couldn't leave to start working until he had it perfect …help me…

We sat in his office and I always took notes (and got confirmation from him what he asked of me because of constant issues where he either forgot what he told me or was gaslighting me). He asked me to track some network info, telling me to keep in on it's own tab in the document.

As it turns out, we had a ton of issues collecting data for this kind of project before and it logistically made sense to add a section for some networking info like firewall rules (just anything out of the ordinary) and basics like that. Nothing crazy, but we always end up needing it. I also removed an entry for something like a isp account circuit or something of that nature, as we already collected the account information and noone ever asked hey what's your circuit ID or whatever as the ISP already knew.

Anyways, after doing my thing and sending it to the boss, he calls me into his office to go over it. He has me close the door and I sit down and…that's when the trouble began. He had this look of anger and annoyance on his face and turns to me...

Bo$$ - why did you put this networking tab here?

Me - confused - you asked me to add it?

Bo$$ starting to raise voice and get agitated - When did I ask you to do that?!? I don't remember asking you that…I wanna know I'm forgetting or what!

Me - pulls out notes - you asked me at the start of our meeting? I wrote it down here…I confirmed it with you

Bo$$ - and why did you add these other things in?

Me – I added them in so that we could capture them if our contact knew the info. I always have to set up the network last minute and it causes issues when I can't access existing equipment…if they knew of things it helps ensure everyone is operational as quickly as possible.

Bo$$ - and where did the circuit ID go?!

Me – I actually removed it from this sheet as we already collect isp info and they have that on file. Noone outright asks for it, it's managed by the ISP. We also already have isp billing etc that has it listed if we need it for reference…?

Bo$$ didn't seem to like that. Gave me a Stern chewing out. Ok, whatever…I can add that back in if it's a huge deal for him. About that time the wireless keyboard and mouse froze up on his system. He got absolutely angry and picked up the keyboard and nearly swung it at the wall (nearly hitting my head in the process), and managed to compose himself and not smash it.

He started complaining about the keyboard and mouse and at that point, I didn't fucking care anymore..I was actually scared of this guy in full now. My life had been miserable working for him, for what otherwise would have been a pleasant role. was always walking on eggshells around him because his mood was all over the place. My personal life was falling apart, my health was deteriorating I just had enough. I'd later tell HR I felt as if my body was trying to pick me up and drag me out of the office. I was legitimately that scared of this guy, wondering if he'd go off the deep end.

I had been partially looking for a new role, but had kept thinking things might improve, but…no more. After I got out of there I walked out of the building to find a secluded area and called my previous recruiter and told him to get me the hell out of there. On the drive home that night I also realized that in the mornings I'd wish I'd let myself fall alseep or wished that someone would hit me just so I didn't have to go to work…

Coming soon:

Part 8: The sweet taste of freedom

But first, part 7: The revelation

Index: Part one

submitted by /u/IT-Freely
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