Foo - No Network Access at work - Day 3

For the third day in a row, I have no network access on my work computer. I can't access the internet, email, or the printers. The only way I'm able to get online at all is either via iPhone or my Eee PC netbook on a Guest Account on the Nameless Merchant's WiFi system. That's not so bad, but typing on this tiny keyboard sucks donkey. And I can't get any work done, 'cause most of it is digital.

Apparently what happened was that over the weekend the Nameless Merchant IT department upgraded the firewall. There had been an exception for our internet account since we're contractors and can't have access to all of the Nameless Merchant network. With the firewall upgrade, that exception went away. The IT guy knows what to do to give us access, but refuses to do so without authorization from someone with Nameless Merchant. We've now got 3 people, including a VP, putting pressure on the IT department to get our access back to us.

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I do work at multiple clients. Some provide internet access and others don't. I use my blackberry as a modem and it works pretty well.

I am sure there are other contractors that would gladly step in and give you better service. Tell that VP to start shopping.

those damned nameless merchants!!!!!!!:mad:

I am sure there are other contractors that would gladly step in and give you better service. Tell that VP to start shopping.

We're the contractor, they're the client.

We've been at this location for over 5 years, and recently signed a new contract to be there for another 3 years. The VP that is involved is their VP. We're just trying to get the various departments to communicate at a high enough level to get the approval put through so the lowly IT guy can flip a switch or type in a line of code & hit enter and reactivate us.

We're the contractor, they're the client.

We've been at this location for over 5 years, and recently signed a new contract to be there for another 3 years. The VP that is involved is their VP. We're just trying to get the various departments to communicate at a high enough level to get the approval put through so the lowly IT guy can flip a switch or type in a line of code & hit enter and reactivate us.

Your VP is their VP, but the IT guy doesn't believe him? I'm confused.

Eh, the Internet's overrated anyway.

Your VP is their VP, but the IT guy doesn't believe him? I'm confused.

The VP is their VP, not ours. I say "we" meaning the three of us who are contractors, our boss, plus our contact at the Nameless Merchant and his bosses, including the VP. For whatever reason, the IT department took their time.

I'd have responded earlier, but when I returned from lunch I found that they'd restored network access to us, so I've been busy.

I'm told a guy came down and looked at the equipment we have in the room. He said, "I know what's wrong," and went to work. He checked something on the Alcatel OmniStack 4024, then went and checked something on the computer. He went back & forth a couple of times between the two, and when he'd finished, the computer had access to the internet, Lotus Notes email, and the three printers on the network.

Whatever it was, he fixed it, and I'm happy & productive again.

It would have been great to have gone home, but I wouldn't have been paid. Plus we could still do copy jobs if they provided hard copy originals. I could also convert native files to PDF, copy them to a flash drive, then email them to another location from the netbook. It sucked, but I had to do what needed to be done to keep the customer happy.

Also, the delay may have been because of the 3 feet of ice that fell on the D/FW area overnight. Oh, wait, it was only about 1mm of ice, I keep forgetting that Texans only like ice in their tea. Anyway, they probably had to send someone from Las Colinas, and he didn't want to risk an accident on the icy roads this morning.