How many times have you taken over an existing network and thought “oh my God. How could the engineer possibly of configured X this way”? The problem is a daily one for me. Trying to explain then to the client why they have to spend a few more bob to get it right is an even more daunting issue.
This morning I visited a new site, and found simple issues like no UPS on the server, a 10Mbit hub on a network where all the PC’s have Gigabit network cards. Not one, not two, but three firewalls all hooked up in a line, a 20GB backup unit on a 300GB server. I cannot imagine how it is possible for a company to consciously supply a network like this.
I asked the client was money the issue…. was there a tender for the work? What? They informed me that the network company that came in had no “major” limitations on budget and that they knew in advance that they were getting the work as they were recommended. This makes my skin crawl… this network company KNEW they were going to get the work yet they left a 10Mbit hub on the LAN and no UPS.
Cowboys…
Forget your email blacklists….. I want to see a web based “Network Cowboy Blacklist” that is search-able by country and location publicly available to the poor souls that know no better.
Nick.