Non-tech savvy office mom accidentally becomes unofficial head of IT by fixing the Wi-Fi with a bag of frozen peas: ‘Someone asked if I could “optimize the cloud.” I told him I optimize casseroles.’

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  • "I accidentally became the head of IT because I fixed the Wi-Fi with a bag of frozen peas"

    I'm a middle-aged office mom. I bake banana bread, remind interns to hydrate, and keep a stash of emergency tissues in my drawer. I am not tech- savvy. My phone still has a home button.
  • Anyway, last week our office Wi-Fi went down. People were panicking. The guy who "knows tech stuff" was on vacation. Our boss started printing things just so he'd feel in control.
  • I went to the server room because I heard a weird noise (it sounded like my air fryer when it overheats). Turns out the router was literally melting. One of the interns had placed it next to the window "for better signal." It was too hot outside.
  • So I panicked, unplugged. it, and I grabbed my lunch bag and slapped a bag of frozen peas on it. Gave it 10 minutes. Plugged it back in. Internet came back.
  • Now everyone thinks I'm some kind of networking wizard. They keep sending me IT tickets. Someone asked if I could "optimize the cloud." I told him I optimize casseroles.
  • I just wanted to eat lunch without weird noises and nothing more.
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  • Fresh-Transition-962 "My phone still has a home button." Goddess_of_Carnage Heck, I still have a home phone. Come for me, I'm wired for it.
  • pulsefirepikachu As a sys admin, I've worked in all sorts of environments from small to large companies. Small companies have the most absurd tech policies known to man. Before building out server and MDM architecture in one company, they were literally working off of unmanaged self set up user profiles and their network was run off of a commercial modem/router.
  • BelterLivesMatter As a network engineer, i want to assure you that this is all we do as well!
  • bloopbloopblooooo This is why you never do more than your actual job AA
  • Gadgetman_1 I'm sorry, but you really ARE in IT now. Please stock your bottom drawer with bottom shelf vodka and as many energy drinks as you can fit. Insist that every ticket must have the exact error message the user experiences, or a picture or video showing the issue. Close half of them as 'user error'...
  • Learn to use contractions like PEBCAC (Problem Exists Between Chair And Computer), 'ISO Layer 8 issue' (The ISO model only has 7 layers, from HW at the bottom, to Application at top. Next layer would then be User) Learn to Reset passwords, to unjam Printers, and for some reason or other how to swap lightbulbs.
  • XRlagniappe I have my USB drive, my ethernet hub (not switch) for sniffing, crossover cables, and loopback cables in my network bag. Guess I'll have to make room for a bag of peas.
  • bastrohl Frozen Peas... I am adding that to my troubleshooting flow chart!

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