A little rant/why me/why right now

[Oaktech]

So, today.

 

Supplier: There is a new firmware out for your point to point link, it offers X, Y, Z performance improvements, it would be a good idea if you apply it.

 

Me: Okay then (wonders what these improvements are)

 

Me: Downloads FW, checks out release notes, X,Y,Z features look promising.

 

Me: Waits untill 16.30 to begin update procedure.

 

Me: TFTP's the FW update to local end of link... 192.168.100.XX. Fails. Removes old FW update (step not in the instructions)

 

Me: TFTP's the FW update to local end of link... succeeds.

 

Me: SSH's the local end of the link, enters shell, finds FW update, runs firmware update.

 

Me: Turns the air in the office light blue as the SSH session bombs. This didn't happen last time. Am now unable to ping either end of link. Begin having visions of having to go up in cherry picker to reset unit, also begin planning conversation with head as to why I've cut the primary school off completely.

 

Me: Calls supplier to ask what is going on.

 

Supplier: "I'm sorry, our offices are now closed"

 

Me: Sh*t.

 

Me: Walks over to other side of school to reboot unit at POE injector. I still can't ping the unit, but the PTP link works again.

 

Me: I'm sorry, what?

 

Me: Breathes for the first time in about 20 minutes.

 

Me: Walks back over to office, boots standalone laptop, runs Cain on all 3 IP scopes. Finds the Mac address of the unit listed in a 172.17 range.

 

Me: I'm sorry, what?

 

Me: Puts laptop manually into correct range, finds unit web interface, changes IP, Breathes a sigh of relief. Attempts to go home

 

Head: Everything OK? Hows it going? (just being friendly)

 

Me: (through fixed, slightly maniacal grin) Fine, Fine...

 

(Still got the other end to do tomorrow, wish me luck)

[ChrisH]

I hate firmware upgrades of any type, they always fill me with dread.

[SYNACK]

Eeek, I know that feeling. You feel like you have just clicked yes on a prompt to ruin the hardware and your day despite the fact that was not your intent. Glad you got it going again.

[AngryTechnician]

I used to have such foul luck with firmware upgrades that my previous NM actually forbade me from running firmware upgrades for the remainder of my employment. Any time we needed firmware upgrading, I had to ask someone else to do it!

[36Degrees]

I once completely fried a very expensive HP iPac belonging to a very senior manager with a firmware update when I was contracting ...

 

We'd been having problems with it and as it was under warranty I contacted HP who duly emailed me a link with a firmware update they swore would fix it. So, update downloaded, update applied, restart iPac.

 

Cue very strange indications on screen then it stopped working. Despite all my best efforts I couldn't get it to work so contacted HP again. When I explained about applying the firmware update the bemused HP guy asked why the hell I had applied that particular one as it was for a completely different iPac series, hence why it had fried it. Luckily I had the email to prove that I had carried out HP's instructions so they had to replace it FOC.

 

It was also fortunate that the senior manager understood all of my actions, realised it wasn't my fault in any way and as he'd only been given it a few days before there wasn't anything vital on there and he was able to live without it for a few more days.