Stupid Computer Tricks

[jrfuda]

I've been using Dyndns.org for a while now, switching to it from no-ip.com due to it being supported by many routers, cameras etc (no nead to run a update program on your PC).

Well, I've been letting my router handle it for quite a while now. Today, just for giggles, I added my hostaname, username and password to ao couple of my IP cameras for "redundancy" (though, in retrospect, there is no redundancy, 'cause if the router goes, the cams wont get on the web anyway).

Well, one of these cameras decided to be a wise guy and update my IP to its IP instead of my WAN ip, so now fudahome.net is resolving as 192.168.1.202 .. why I outa....

When I get home, I guess I'll disable that "redundancy".

Normally, HS sends me an email with my actual IP whenever it changes, but my smtp settings changed recently and I have not updated HS with the info, so no IP udate email for me

Anyway, here's an opportunity for y'all to post your own "STUPID COMPUTER TRICKS"

Here are some of my other favorites, all RDP related:
- restarting your PC in RDP and selecting "shut down" by mistake
- configuring a firewall while in RDP and blocing the RDP port
- disabling an of the services RDP is dependant on while in RDP

 

[HoustonFirefox]

John,

I think I got you beat by a long shot, and I really should know better since I do this stuff for a living... Hear goes...

While away on business, I was having some router issues at the house that turned out to be caused by a firmware update not being installed. Yep, you guessed it. I'm not sure exactly what I was thinking or what drugs might have been slipped into my drink, but on the spur of the moment, I forgot where I was an initiated the firmware update to the router while I was in a Remote Desktop session on my server!

Needless to say, things went badly almost instantly and I had to re-flash the firmware LOCALLY when I got back to the house.

ANONYMOUS in Houston

 

[HoustonFirefox]

Oh, and I almost forgot:

Back in the 80's when I owned a mom-and-pop computer store, we actually had a lady move her computer from one room to another then call me up to complain.

Complain about what you ask? It's a brand-new computer for crying out loud.

It seems she called us to complain that "The Computer Is On Fire".

Oh, yeah... WHAT?!?! She repeated that the computer was on fire and she thought it might be defective and asked me what to do since the place was filling with an acrid smoke quite quickly.

I yelled at her to call the FIRE DEPARTMENT and I tore out of the store to go to her house about 3 blocks away.

When I arrived, there was a pale-grey smoke pouring out of the front door and I ran inside and began unplugging everything around the computer since it was making a very loud 60hz buzzing noise and doing alot of clicking.

Well, turns out it wasn't her "computer" after all that caught fire. Seems that when she moved the computer, she also moved the industrial-strength UPS along with it and somehow managed to plug it into itself in some kind of demented perpetual-energy machine.

The UPS went on battery, supplied juice to... Yep! Charge the battery!

This is the only time in 5 years of having my business that I truly ever wanted to slap the crap out of a customer!

 

[electron]

My main issue with RD is shutting down / rebooting the wrong server remotely, that can hurt a lot

 

[mustangcoupe]

My main issue with RD is shutting down / rebooting the wrong server remotely, that can hurt a lot

I did that once learned my lesson quickly... (when I had to telephone the site 6hr drive for me... and tell them to go push the power button)

 

[deranged]

Doing a lot of vpn's and working with firewalls you are bound to make a mistake.

Working with a customer who had offices in several other countries I sent the firewall config for NJ USA to the bermuda firewall.

Oooops. When I called to ask for the bermuda office IT tech for help. I was informed they would have to find him on the beach.

Such a life.

StevenE