Latest LAN job successfully concluded!

Contributed by Haresh Karamchandani

An NGO client contracted us to plan, implement and build their Local Area Network at their office in Monrovia.

The estimates were prepared according to our regular template and after several follow up emails by our Marketing consultant the client confirmed that they had approval and allocation in their budget to issue the work order.

SATURDAY:

We decided to do this job (which can get very noisy and messy) over a weekend. Armed with all the necessary materials and power tools our team headed for the clients’ office on a Saturday morning. We began by drilling the screw holes in the walls to lay the cable channels and RJ45 wall jacks as per the planned layout. This took us the whole of Saturday and we ended the day late at about 8 PM.

SUNDAY:

We decided to go back the next day, Sunday to continue and finish off the rest of the job. Being a Sunday 2 of the team members decided to come late, (one wanted to wash her clothes, the other wanted to drive his aunty to church!). So we started off short staffed, and ran the CAT6e cables inside the ceiling. This was a very difficult task to carry out as this building’s ceiling was very shallow and the boys had to literally crawl on their bellies to get the job done. Eventually by 6 in the evening we had managed to get all the cables sorted out in the ceiling and also managed to terminate the wall boxes. The only thing left was to put up the rack and switches and connect the cables respectively before carrying out routine tests. We decided to end the day at 6 and continue the next day, so that we could watch the UEFA cup Finals over a cup of hot chocolate/cold beer after a hard grueling day’s work.

MONDAY:

The next morning we were back again and installed the rack neatly, crimped the cables and connected the switches to the routers. We worked the whole day, quietly, and were able to complete the job by late evening. We decided to hand over the project to the client the next day.

TUESDAY:

The terminals were checked one by one and all were found to be properly working and we handed over the project to the happy client.

WEDNESDAY:

I get a call in the morning from the client, complaining that some of the users are not able to connect to the internet!! We dispatched our technicians to go and check it out and after some trouble shooting it was discovered that the switches were interlinked and then connected to the router. This was not working therefore we decided to link the switches individually to the router directly. On doing so all the users were able to browse.

THURSDAY:

I get a call again from the client complaining that some users are not able to browse. We again dispatched out able technicians to the site to check what may be the issue. Our Head of IT, came up with the diagnosis that the original EDIMAX routers that were installed by the ISP were substandard and were not able to carry the load of the network and kept crashing. He recommended that we change the routers to CISCO Linksys routers which are more reliable and sturdy. We explained to the client and they agreed and gave us the go ahead to get the routers replaced and configured. We did so. And everything was working well.

FRIDAY:

I get a call again. Some users could not browse!!!! This was getting frustrating as we had done many such jobs in the past and NEVER had to face so many obstacles. This time around I decided to take along a fellow Indian friend and technician to check and confirm if the job was done correctly and if there were any errors somewhere. The fellow checked all the settings and he confirmed that all was done according to the norms of networking. He asked to re-set the routers and reconfigured them. We did that. Everything seemed okay.

SATURDAY:

I get a call again! The client said that 1 user was not able to connect to the internet. I decided to go and check it out myself. On checking we realized that the drop down cable from the Jack to the users computer had come loose from the Jack. This may have happened when the sweeper must have pulled on the cable whilst sweeping in the office!! We connected the cable back firmly and the client could browse.

Its been 4 days since the last call out and we have been following up 2 times daily to check if everything is fine. So far so good. No complains. And, while concluding this blog I just got a call from the client asking us to send our invoice for payment! ANOTHER HAPPY NATC CLIENT added to our list!!

IT in the Bush

Contributed by Guillaume Foutry 

I think we made it clear in the previous posts that operating business in Liberia is not necessarily easy. Sometimes to find the appropriate solution, we have to be quite innovative and resourceful. That means if one of our clients operates in the middle of the bush, we have to go there and make it happen.

So two weeks ago, I took a plane to go to the PIOM (Putu Iron Ore Mining) site in the Grand Gedeh County. There is only one way to describe it: this is in the middle of the bush. Everything that is there has been brought/built by the company. So the least I can say it is challenging to do any type of IT operation there.

I went there to assist one of our technicians to set up a server, and I have to say it was quite a challenging operation: between spending 2 hours on Skype to get the manufacturer resetting its equipment to dealing with Russian employees not speaking much English, we had our faire share of difficult moments. But we managed to get everything done in time. 

It was a great experience and an eye-opener on how challenging it can be to operate a business outside the capital, and even more so in the bush. I also saw how much Liberia desperately needs better infrastructure and more skilled people to keep on moving forward. So at NATC, we believe that, by training our Liberian IT staff, we are doing our share and contributing to the progress of Liberia.

Get Your Business Ready for the Rainy Season

Contributed by Guillaume Foutry

Doing business in Liberia is not necessarily easy, but one element is now making it a bit harder for the next few months: the rainy season. How can the rain be a problem? It becomes a problem when it rains more than five times what it rains in London or twice in Mumbai. And most of this happens in 6 months.

The rain accentuates all the problems inherent to Liberia: The roads get worse (especially up-country), the power cuts are more frequent, the Internet slows down, people show up even later at meetings, etc. So in a nutshell, it gets more difficult to get things done.

However at NATC, we have been through several rainy seasons and we know how to handle it. Here are some recommendations:

• Get a surge protector: if you do not have one already, we strongly recommend you get one to protect electronics.
• Have a power back up: Having an APC is a big plus as it enables you to keep on working during the power cuts.
• Travel waterproof: Carry plastic bags in your bag or pocket: If you get stranded in the middle of a storm, you can keep your mobile phone and laptop dry.
• Check your electrical installation: As there are more power surges, it is better to perform an assessment of your system to make sure it is safe for your electronics.
• Check your office insulation: this is not the right time to discover there is a leak in your ceiling, just above your desktop computer.

We give you these advices to help you keep your organization/project on track. If you need any special assistance or have new requirements, please let us know. For us, rain or no rain, this is business as usual and we are here to help.

NATC 1-0 Printer from Hell

Contributed by Guillaume Foutry

There is a saying that printers come from hell as they have an unparalleled capacity to generate troubles and frustration. At NATC, we have become expert at fixing them.

However, we stumbled upon an exceptional case that required us to do the following:

1. Perform initial troubleshooting/diagnose
2. Order spare parts from HP Support Center
3. Download the Firmware of the printer from HP website
4. Reinstall or upgrade the firmware of the printer
5. Trying to install the firmware on the printer (did not work)
6. Come up with new solutions: Replace DC control board; Replace communication board (formatter); Load the firmware of the printer on the SanDisk (which is a memory card also functioning as a hard drive through the formatter of the printer).
7. Order suggested parts (formatter)
8. Replace parts (DC control board and formatter)
9. Load the firmware of the printer on the SanDisk
10. New issue: Toner Collection Unit needs to be installed
11. Remove the toner collection unit of the printer (included the toner collection unit sensor and the toner collection unit gear) to reset them
12. New issue: One of the cables of the DC control board was unplug
13. Switch off printer, plug the cable and re-start the printer
14. Victory: the printer now functions properly!

We made it!

As you can see fixing a printer is a proper battle that requires expertise, patience, resilience and ingenuity. Things we have plenty of at NATC. If you have issues with your printers, do not waste your time on it. Bring it to us and we will be happy to fix it for you. 

Update on Naomi Meh - "Help NATC Save a Life"

Dear friends,

As you know, NATC sponsored the medical treatment of a young Liberian woman, Naomi Zeinabu Meh, by sending her to India. The girl was suffering from acute pain and given the pure lack of medical care in country, it was not clear what was wrong with her. She even had a leg amputated unnecessarily by doctors at Firestone Hospital. We knew Naomi as an employee of NLTC (NATC's predecessor) and seeing her awful condition decided to send her to India for diagnosis so at least to figure out what was wrong with her. Naomi was sent to India in October and has undergone diagnosis and treatment. 

We blogged about the case "Help NATC Save a Life" previously and sought contributions from friends and community members. 

We are pleased to inform you that NATC has finally managed to pay off the remaining hospital fees and have brought Naomi Zeinabu Meh safely back to Liberia on 21 March. The total  hospital bill was 510,000 Indian Rupees (USD 10,250.00) and we managed to pay off almost all of it although there is a pending amount of 70,000 Rupees (USD 1,400.00). Naomi was discharged from the hospital after Haresh's daughter, Ms. Kamna, signed a personal bond. We also spent USD 2,500.00 on her travel expenses. 

A local Mumbai pharmacy (Bandra Medical) donated the medications just before Naomi left India which was worth USD 120.00. These are medicines to be taken for long-term. 

Copies of the Discharge Card from Nanavati Hospital, Dr Barve's Report as well as various receipts are available on request.

Naomi was in India for a total of 5 months during which - as you can see from the reports -  Naomi was given extensive medical treatment for the TB and radio therapy for the carcinoma (the tumour in her pelvic region). The doctors have advised excision of the tumour at a later stage when her lung condition permits and when the finances are available. 

Noami visited us in the office last week and she really looks much healthier and she told me she is in much less pain. 

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude for the moral and financial support you gave us without which we would not have been able to see this through. 

If you would like to ask us any more information, please feel free to do so. Let's hope that Liberia's state of medical care improves. 

Sincerely,

Farzana and Haresh

Laptop Battery

Contributed by Haresh Karamchandani

Image from 21 Ways to Improve Your Laptops's Battery Life

We imported 5 units of HP2000z laptops from HP, USA for supply to an NGO client. These are competitively priced laptops (We got them for US$384.98) and supplied the client after adding cost of freight, clearing and forwarding.

Yesterday the client called me and complained that they had opened up 3 out of the 5 laptops for use but all 3 had “Battery Problems”. I questioned him as to what exactly is the problem and he replied that the batteries were not charging at all!

I immediately called up HP support and gave them the laptop serial numbers and product numbers. I got a very cooperative tech agent on the telephone and he remained with me on the telephone for more than an hour helping to troubleshoot the problem and eventually resolve it:

The first thing he asked us to do was to remove out the battery and the power adaptor from the laptop. We did that. Then he said that we should keep the power on button pressed for about 30-45 seconds even though there was no battery or power adaptor. We did that.

Then he said we should insert the battery back into the Laptop and plug the power adaptor back. We did that. Then he said we should put the laptop on by pressing the power button and at the same time as the laptop booted we should continuously tap on the F10 key. We did that.

Then he asked us what we could see on the screen. We could see nothing! The screen was blank! Then he asked us whether the keyboard lights were on, yes they were on. Then he asked us if the light on the power pin area was on, yes it was blinking. He then asked us to switch off the laptop. We did that.

Then he said that we should restart the laptop, but this time we should do it normally without pressing any F10 key. We did that. This time, the laptop booted and the screen lit up with the Windows 7 logo!

Then he asked us to check the battery icon on the bottom right hand side corner to see whether the battery was charging. Indeed it was! It showed 41% at that time. And about 5 minutes later it showed 51%.

Then he asked us whether we could see HP Tech Support on the screen. Yes we could and he asked us to click on that. Then he asked us to go to troubleshooting and then to Battery/Power. We did that. We saw a remark: battery performing normally, but the power adaptor needs to be plugged in. The power adaptor was plugged in. I asked him why we are getting this remark. He said that was absolutely perfect and in order. He said that we would not get this remark if the battery charge % was over 75%. We continued to charge the battery and 10 minutes later it was over 75% and again did this check. There was no remark!

Then he advised that it would be a good idea to calibrate the battery regularly. This is how the calibration is done: Charge the battery till it is 100%. Then remove out the power adaptor and use the laptop until the battery is fully drained out and the laptop turns off by itself. Then charge it again to 100% and repeat the same. Do this 3 times. He said that this procedure is advisable and will help calibrate the battery and keep it healthy and in good shape.

NATC supplies Laptops and Accessories to clients and also provides on-site support and warranties. This client just enjoyed the support! Another happy NATC client.

Is XP extinct?

Contributed by Haresh Karamchandani

Windows XP is truly an outdated operating system - at least from a business point of view,  so much so that manufactures like Dell or HP do not offer it pre-loaded on their hardware since 2008. Check out this article: "Dell: We'll install XP for you,  even after the deadline." Official support for XP will end in 2014 according to this article "Windows XP celebrates tenth birthday, Microsoft wants it extinct." 

Windows XP is one of the series of Operating Systems released by Microsoft. It was released way back in October 2001 and has proven to be highly successful. Its market share is still a solid 38.4% according to an article on Wikipedia "Usage share of operating systems." 

This information serves as an introduction to this blog post which will talk about a recent supply to one of our clients. 

The client happens to be a European bank which needed 9 desktops preloaded with Genuine Licensed WIndows XP. The bank was very clear about the necessity of having the desktops preloaded with XP because this OS is used across the board, from HQ to country branches. Their banking applications are also XP-friendly.

After checking with various manufacturers,  such as  DELL,  HP,  Lenovo,  we learnt that Windows XP OS is NO MORE offered and ONLY the latest OS,  Windows 7 comes loaded on computers these days. We went ahead,  since we had no choice and ordered and got the latest model Dell Vostro 260s with Windows 7 Professional Pre-loaded which is a Slim Line Desktop Computer and the latest in the line,  (Manufactured in February 2012!!) from DELL USA with the plan to downgrade to Windows XP. We got it done in the end but it was certainly a challenging experience. 

Our USA supplier shipped out the goods as soon as he received them. After we received them here in Liberia, we contacted Dell Support to seek a solution. Dell support sent us a web link specially created for these kinds of problems. It offered to download Windows XP in Virtual Mode: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/install-and-use-windows-xp-mode-in-windows-7

We downloaded this 600MB software on all the computers and returned it back to the client. The virtual mode meant that the computer would boot in Windows 7 mode and then the user would have to switch to Windows XP Virtual Machine Mode. This works exactly like a Windows XP machine with all the normal features. The only problem here was that the machine would boot in Windows 7 and the user would have to switchover to XP virtual mode from the start menu. The client insisted that they DO NOT want any virtual mode, and that they would only accept computers that could boot directly in XP.

We again went back to DELL support and they advised that we contact Microsoft Support for a solution. Microsoft support offered that we could DOWNGRADE the system to Windows XP and sent us a link.

http://www.microsoft.com/OEM/en/licensing/sblicensing/Pages/downgrade_rights.aspx

After we followed the steps and downgraded the computer to Windows XP the computer started booting in XP mode. But this was not the end of the problem.

Even though the machine was booting in XP mode, there were some critical drivers like Network, Video, Graphics etc that were needed. We went online to find a solution and could not get ANY solution as this Vostro 260s was preinstalled with a brand new LAN system which worked only with Windows 7 OS!!

We then decided to contact the manufacturer of the LAN PCI card (Realtek) and we were informed by REALTEK that yes indeed the PCI card in the new Vostro 260s was unique and was a PCIe card, number Realtek-RTL8111E-VL. They sent us the link for this driver which was just uploaded on the web a few days ago. http://www.downloadsource.net/1761192/ASUS-M5A97-Realtek-RTL8111E-VL-LAN-Driver/

We downloaded the driver and installed it in the Vostro 260s and voila! The computer booted in Windows XP and we could connect to the internet network. The other drivers for Video and Graphics can now be downloaded easily.

The client accepted the desktops and we received our payment promptly. 

The experience of downgrading from Windows 7 to Windows XP was challenging but also extremely interesting. It would seem that many organisations are still using older operating systems because they are reliable and their systems have been built around them so why upgrade when it would be costly and time consuming? We guess this is why XP still has a significant market share. 

Another question is: why does Microsoft keep releasing newer operating systems and how does it work as a business model and how does it affect businesses and organisations?