One of the reasons
Advanced Computer Solutions has been so successful, is
it's owner and it's technicians always enjoy new
challenges. We are problem solvers - solution providers -
and just like watching a good thriller in the movies,
problem solving for us is very rewarding! So many
stories to tell....here are a few we've chosen for this
page.
HARD
LESSON-TO-LEARN # 1 - "I'VE LOST MY DATA!!" During a well-deserved vacation we received a phone call from a
not-so-happy-with-Dell person who had just been stepped
through the process of "reloading her system" - and it
just so happened she held a very important position with
a very important company and she had a lot
of important data on her computer - that Dell had just
assisted her in completely destroying. This was not too
big a deal until she realized a modification that had
been done to her server network path caused
her backup to be over a year old as well. Advanced
Computer, using extremely advanced techniques, was able
to restore 98% of her missing files and data - from a
computer that had been completely formatted and
reloaded. (If this ever happens to you the first thing
you need to do is turn your computer OFF - then call us.
Do not continue to use your computer, as that can destroy
even additional data). This customer was lucky
mostly because the total capacity of her hard disk drive
was so large. We have performed this service for
additional doctors, attorneys, and even a few normal
computer users. If we can help you or someone you
know, please contact us.
HARD
LESSON-TO-LEARN # 2 - "WOW, YOU
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND NO ONE ELSE DOES!!" In late 2001, shortly after our owner had formed this
company, the Best
Western Carlton Suites in Birmingham, Alabama had
just been purchased by the same group who owns the local
Best Western Farewinds Inn. Our owner had contracted
with his former employer (Millar Computer Solutions -
now Computer Partners Inc) as the project manager to
implement a new network for this facility. We also had
instructions to reprogram or replace all the computer
equipment - as well as install new software - which the
new owners of the property had brought in on a laptop.
Although the new owners had setup the rates, rooms, and
other important information for the property, the group
was not aware that the cd-rom version we had been given
to install on the new computer network (and then we were
to import the data from the laptop to make the site
live) - was not the same version - and in fact
the new version had problems and bugs. We worked
through the night with the software company to implement
the changes - as the new owners came back from their
stressful property closing - and slept for three hours
as we concluded the installation and imported the data. Fortunately,
after this grueling 14 hour process - the network was
fully operational in time for 5 am checkout - and the
property served us one of the finest breakfast's we have
ever had!
Fast-forward four
years later - the property was again sold
(after improvements were made) and the new property-owner hired a Birmingham firm to come in and again
install a new network and all new equipment. After
several frustrating days of problems and excuses - the
new property owner contacted the former owner of the
hotel to find out who installed the initial network -
which was, of course, our company. Within a few
hours of returning on-site, we had solved or implemented
acceptable solutions for all issues the client was
having - proving we were apparently more knowledgeable
than local Birmingham computer firms! We continue to
work with Ronnie today to implement new goals and solve
occasional problems.
HARD
LESSON-TO-LEARN # 3 - LIGHTNING
STRIKES!! AND USUALLY WINS!! "HELP!! WE'RE DEAD IN
THE WATER!!" One day, a
call came in approximately 15 minutes after our company
stopped working for the day. A restaurant out on
Smith Lake had apparently taken a direct lightning
strike. Their telephone lines were fried. Their
file server would no longer turn on - thus their point-
of-sale system was dead in the water - and it was a
Friday night - one of the busiest nights of the week.
The owner was unable to separate dining tickets - and
the customers did not seem to care. Some even
threatened that if the ticket can't be separated out,
they were not going to pay. The owner and manager
were so frustrated they were prepared to shut the
restaurant down until the problem was fixed. All of this
transpired between the time we received the call at 5:15
until the time we arrived on-site (approximately 6 pm -
we dispatched a tech on-site to began assessing the
situation, and other techs arrived later to
complete the job).
We quickly determined
the motherboard in the server was bad - and worse yet,
it was a proprietary Dell motherboard. As we had two techs on-site
at this point - we discussed possible options - and came
up with a rather unique solution. "Lets pull the
guts from another Dell computer" we had available to us -
and, by pulling parts from other working computers, "lets
see if we can get this server back in operation."
We took the existing hard disk drive and motherboard,
memory, and power supply from another Dell computer -
and within about an hour we had the computer up and
running again. However, since changing the parts,
the device drivers no longer functioned. Worse
yet, the location was so remote, there was no broadband
internet access available to download drivers (good
reason to sell
Cyber Broadband!) Ironically, the
motherboard was on loan from Cyber Domain - the internet
cafe that existed at the time. After driving back
to the tech's house, which was close to the restaurant,
(and thanks to the availability of Cyber Broadband at
the tech's house!), we were able to quickly get the
drivers without taking a 20-minute drive back to our
office - each way - and not being sure which driver
would work with our hardware.
Fortunately after
about three hours - nearing the end of the dinner rush -
we had the file server back online and most of the point-of-sale and waitress terminals back online - except for
the ones where we discovered network lines going to
various point-of-sale printers (the kitchen and salad
bar) as well as one of the terminals - were apparently
fried during the lightning strike. After
re-running two critical network lines (which could have
involved a third tech - but fortunately involved the
owner's husband) - we were able to get the
critical stations back up. We then worked with the
owner over the next few weeks to replace the rest of the
equipment - including installing a new replacement
computer to run the point-of-sale system. Overall - due
to our timely response - the restaurant did not have to
close.
HARD
LESSON-TO-LEARN # 4 - "OUR SERVER CRASHED!! THE COMPANY WE CALLED
TO FIX IT - COULDN'T GET THEIR ACT TOGETHER. THEY CALLED
ANOTHER COMPANY - WHO CALLED IN A THIRD COMPANY - WHO
TOLD US WE NEED ALL NEW NETWORK WIRING!!! WHAT ON
EARTH!! SECOND OPINION PLEASE!!!"
Yes....this is one of our absolute favorite stories for
the record books. We were contacted by a new client late
one afternoon - and this client asked us for a special
meeting first thing the next morning if at all possible.
Upon arriving at this meeting - we were told this
customer had gone through three different computer
companies - none of which could solve their problems.
This customer finally called another local business with
whom they had conducted business to find out who
took care of their computer need - and learned of
Advanced Computer Solutions.
During the meeting we
were told the company's file server had failed
- and another company from out of town was rebuilding
the file server with replacement parts from Dell - and
they had returned the file server - but were unable to
get the network back online. Apparently confused, they
called another company they deal with - who called
another company - they deal with - who finally
told this customer their network wiring was "old" - and
they'd need all new wiring. This customer, having a hard
time believing this "song and dance", quickly told us the
third company was returning to begin running new wire -
thus the urgency. After a careful review of the network
- we discovered a critical piece of network equipment
(the device that assigns network addresses to devices on
the network) had failed - thus causing the computers to
fall off the network. Within two hours, we had
manually assigned network addresses to most of the
computers - thus getting the office back in a state
where they
can be productive -
just in time to have the company which
suggested they rewire the whole building show up and ask
for us to go outside and talk with them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes - we can't make
this stuff up. The customer politely told the
other company to please leave - and we double checked
our health insurance in case the "competing" company met
us in a dark alley one night!!
HARD
LESSON-TO-LEARN # 5 - "OUR SATELLITE INTERNET IS NOT WORKING
CORRECTLY - WE CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT. PLEASE HELP."
This actually happened at a
Jimmie Hale
Mission - owned property called Royal Pines - in
extremely remote Blount county. Someone else had
set the network up - mostly wireless - although a wired footprint would have been extremely easy to
service. Since wireless technology was already
in place, we continued to use the existing technology
(instead of "reinventing the wheel"). As this was
prior to the use of routing equipment with DirecWay, we
utilized internet connection sharing, as built into
Windows 2000, to allow the Direcway satellite to be
shared across the network. This computer lab was
primarily used for recovering patients to locate jobs
for when they are released from the mission.
HARD
LESSON-TO-LEARN # 6 - "WE HAVE DEADLINES - WE NEED OUR POINT-OF-SALE SYSTEMS UPGRADED." This was the story we
received from several
Dollar General
stores across north Alabama. Their home office has
provided certain stores with newer IBM point-of-sale
terminals - and Advanced Computer Solutions has been
working with these stores to install the new equipment
at Dollar General's request.
HARD
LESSON-TO-LEARN # 7 - "PEOPLE ARE STAYING AT OUR HOTEL - AND
THEIR WIRELESS WON'T CONNECT! WE'RE TIRED OF
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS! CAN YOU HELP?" Have you
noticed the trend of business to work away from the
office - from your motel room, or from your beach house?
A local establishment had installed wireless access
points throughout their buildings - but were not very
familiar with wireless technology - and thus had
tremendous gaps in coverage. In addition, some of
the access points worked when others did not - and even
others, when they worked, no one knew how long they would
work. We re-wired the buildings CORRECTLY -
(our very own Mr. Weekley has
a certification from the Building Industry Consulting
Service International. (BICSI)
(see more) - which helps him to know
exactly what to look for when data transmission errors occur -
for example - wiring cat-5 to electrical conduit!! --
very big no no!!). We continued to work with management
to solve their problems.
We have also
conducted wireless studies (802.11 as well as point-to-point wireless) for warehouses and business facilities.
HARD
LESSON-TO-LEARN # 8 - "REMOTE CONNECTIVITY MAKES LIFE SOOOOO
MUCH EASIER!!" After installing remote point-to-point connections (using Virtual Private Network, or VPN
technology) - and especially remote control and remote
connectivity to office locations - productivity and
communication show a substantial increase. In
fact, one customer recently told us as she was having
the vpn protocols updated for a new file server at her
workplace that she would not know what to do while
watching TV commercials that evening - because she would
not have remote connectivity to her workplace! If
your company has not invested in this technology yet,
please, contact us.
You're losing time and productivity - and, take it from
us, time is money!
Trust us....there are
many more stories to tell. We truly love our work!
Thank you for taking
the time to read our personal "diary" - and thanks for
considering Advanced Computer Solutions as a business
partner.
or
Locally owned and operated by Jay Fuller - providing efficient
solutions since 2001