Mr Annon
join:2008-03-04
| Pet peeve, Help scripts: The universal use of asking to turn off modem/computer and reboot. Once it has been tried it is nonsense to keep doing it. I think this comes from Windows mentality of BSOD- reboot to fix. Not working will lets reboot.
Being a Linux user and helping out in the Distro Forum, that is not what springs to mind when trying to help someone. Instead I would ask if the users was getting a connection signal from the modem (second lite down solid green). If not, nothing a person does with their computer matters (This is of course assuming that the computer or router is connected and had been working before.). The modem can not give you an IP if it does not connect.
Simple trouble shooting would than say that the problem is from the modem to the satellite or WB. Therefore to continue to ask the customer to reboot computer, run virus checks, change browsers, are you running Windows? is a waste of time to all concerned.
Now if the modem light is green and the person can not get online then it is time to start checking whether they have got the IP from the modem (I think ifconfig in Win but since I do not use Windows I may be mistaken) routers are great for this because they will have a settings page that tells you if the IP and DNS is assigned plus they do not rely on setting up to get IP it is default behavior. Once you know that than the problem is most likely a configuration issue.
So if you are reading this WB think about your help scripts, are they wasting time for people that then leads to frustration? |
