 |
| Network Device Testing: Before |
The Network Device Testing station is always chaotic. This is where network devices, like switches, routers, wireless access points, etc. are sorted and the good ones are tested.
It's tricky to train people on this station, since it often requires specialized knowledge. It has a monotonous aspect, too, since half of the job involves matching power supplies with devices. So it's often left for a few days without people working there, making it a magnet for crud to build up. A lot of network devices come in at receiving -- several large boxes each week, I'd estimate -- and sometimes they get left on the desk if there isn't room in Receiving, adding to the carnage.
I had intended to take a disgustingly messy "before" picture and present it alongside a triumphantly spotless "after", but the "after" photograph is still pretty cluttered...
 |
| Network Devices, cleaned up (again) |
There are a few problems with this station, I think: it's only occasionally used, and it's too big for network device testing but probably too small to be combined with something else. The biggest problem in my opinion is the power supplies; for each device, we need to find a power supply with the matching voltage, a matching jack, and at least enough amperage to drive the device. We've tried a number of ways of sorting and storing them but nothing seems to stick. Anyone know how Portland does it? Does it work?
thank you for talking about the network device
ReplyDeletetesting station
I believe this station is designed, developed ,
and maintained mainly by Alec
and I think Alec usually devote too much time to this station ( at least , that is my observation
last fall, when i was regularly active at Free Geek)
Alec 's work with the network devices station
and his work at the build station
serve as the best role models for all volunteers
I would suggest Alec apply his energy, and
leadership to more projects
such as starting a camera station
for evaluation sorting, reuse of digital cameras
and the laptop program also require more
leadership, planning, organizing,and development
back to the network testing station
this station was tried out by the ubc
engineers sometime ago
I looked in on the second engineering day
to see how the students learn and do
at the network device testing station
i found
the station had a couple of engineering students
and a regular volunteer
after working through one device
the regular volunteer left, and did not come back
his departure is a puzzle to me
because the engineers come to learn from him
and he left
volunteers who work at the network device station
is supposed to learn the first hour,
and become an expert trainer the rest of the day
and all other days there after
because i think getting to be an trainer at
this station should not be that difficult
and the main benefit of working at this station
is you progress through the novice learner, and
expert trainer , mentor stages quickly
by climbing this station ladder,
volunteer learn the job skills of climbing
the corporate ladder outside of free geek
so the regular volunteer who found himself with
two engineering students at his elbow
had an excellent opportunity to train engineers
and do engineering problem solving with some
bright young kids, why did you left?
it is still a puzzle to me
so i found my self with 2 engineers students
and I watch how they do engineering problem
solving with the help of the manual
it did not work very well
i myself was a novice
basically, we had 3 brains, but we did not know
how others are thinking..
finally i suggest, one way to proceed
is to leave this problematic device aside
and test another good one
and use the experience of testing the good one
to retackle the problematic one
so we grab another device and start on it
still we have puzzling problems
after sometime
Connie came around and after a few seconds
quickly pointed out, the device we were working on
is a printer networking device
i was very impressed with Connie
a display of sharp engineering intelligence
as i know it
all this comment , is just to say
what an interesting station we have at freegeek
so much fun we can have with it
learning how to climb the engineering ladder
the corporate ladder, or any ladder
Hey George -- I was there with the engineers for one of those days, and we were almost totally prevented from working the station because the FG network was mostly broken. That was making the station a disaster. Luckily it's pretty rare.
ReplyDelete...but let me quickly add that the engineers were fast to learn and I'd have 'em back any day!
ReplyDeleteI was in today and the network station still looks great. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteMaybe the tools are part of the problem. Have a look at Portland's wiki page for network device testing -- http://wiki.freegeek.org/index.php/Network_Testing -- it looks like they have better developed tools for testing routers and switches. These take the guesswork out of the testing process. I might experiment a little bit with this next week.
ReplyDelete