CTP Skill Center

Today I worked Frank with the Hardware Rehab. Elizabeth, Jimmy and Jose also worked in this hardware project. I must admit that going through the different computers and testing each one is somewhat tiring. We were encountering different problems such as unresponsive systems or peculiar behavior like being unable to boot from USB but able to boot from the hard drive or DVD ROM. Some system that have on board video cards that were not working and made operational by adding a video card in an expansion slot. A few were completely dead. We also noticed uneven RAM capacities 12 GB (2+2+4+4) and 14 GB (4+4+4+2) with an assortment of brands. We were able to finish all the computers in the stack.

Today I went to the Job fair in Oakland. I was there just a little bit after 10 AM and the line was already long. However, I was able to go in a few minutes later. The venue was quite small for the number of people coming in to seek employment opportunities. Going around I was only able to submit my resume to 2 booths. Most were not entertaining inquiries about IT opportunities in their companies and just referred me to apply through the corporate portal.

At class Alex gave a lecture on some troubleshooting methodologies that a technician should wisely emulate. Having a mindset and a set of protocols to follow helps saves time and eliminate redundant actions in solving a particular IT problem.

We were offered to do do either a project on SSD replacement/imaging or the Hardware Rehab. I opted to do the rehab with Jimmy and we managed to do 4 more desktops today.

Today I worked with Eli on the Computer Rehab project we started yesterday. Using the guide that Alex provided we were able to assess and make a determination as to the system status of 4 Desktop computers. We worked on a HP Compaq dc5800 and Lenovo Think Centres model E75, M92P and M91P respectively. Time does run fast when you are doing this kind of work. You have to use troubleshooting and analysis skills to figure out if a system is salvageable and worth the time to fix. A system can be made operational however it may be not up to the task performance wise. In the end we had 3 disassemble and 1 project computer.  

We have a couple of guests at CTT class today. Elizabeth and Greg are taking a hybrid class integrating PRO and some CTT classes. To help them get into the mix of things, Alex asked us to do a project with them which involved the assessment of desktop computers to find out which can be classified as either can’t be fixed, project or classroom computers. Frank and I worked as a team and found a Lenovo that can’t be fixed which intermittently went into BIOS. It was not a dependable performance. Next we worked on a Dell desktop which worked and ran Kali Linux and passed Memtest on Easy2Boot. However, it was only a dual core computer and was good for a project computer.

Today we continued our diagnosing and SSD upgrade of other T430 laptops as classroom laptops. So we did the same procedure that we did on the first upgrade. Afterwards Alex asked us to provision the IP phones because of a server error. There was something peculiar with provisioning the Polycom IP 335. It would not accept the default password ‘456’ to reset to factory defaults. Alex and I even tried entering the MAC address as the password which also did not work.We still need to provision 2 more IP phones for the Scott room.

Today Alex showed us how to look at the device manager and look for missing drivers in a computer. Windows can update the driver for you automatically. However, if it can’t it is always best to look for the driver it requires in the manufacturers’ site which in the case of our classroom computers is Lenovo. Fortunately, the image we use for the classroom computers comes with the Lenovo System Update already installed. One can use the recommended update or choose an update that is required in the list that the software provides after diagnosis. We also discussed what a 32bit and 64bit means which is the memory address that a system can handle.

We continued our lab assignment for the week and Alex reiterated the steps that we missed to complete.

Today we did a review of the information in the Uniform resource Locator (URL) in the web address such as the protocol, domain name, sub-domain, delimiter, default page, etc. We were asked a question of what professional accountability is and how we understood it. This was related to our last assignment where a miscommunication occurred on what the objective and the expected result should have been.

Being accountable and responsible is knowing what you have to do (making notes), having a deadline (make reminders) and acknowledging if you are not able to do something and telling it to your immediate superior.

So our assignment for this week was similar to last week of upgrading a Lenovo T430 with an SSD. However, this time the objective and expectations are clear.

Today at employment services was dedicated for preparing for the upcoming Job Fair on Feb. 27. In this regard, we have three assignments to complete namely an updated resume, 30 second Elevator pitch and a list of 5 companies that we will approach at the job fair. I spent some time updating my resume, creating my elevator pitch and changing the background of my LinkedIn profile.

Afterwards, I was designated as the timekeeper for the mock interview practice for the CTT students wherein they took turns asking questions and changing partners as well.

Today we learned about different physical ports on a computer. These are the actual ports for video, audio and the other peripherals your common in a modern day computer. For example video can use VGA, DVI, HDMI or a Display port. Parallel ports such as DB9 and DB25 has mostly been replaced by either USB or serial ports. Some ports are also in the decline such as Firewire.

We also learned about looking closely at the information in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) in the browser address bar which contains the protocol, domain name, sub-domain and other resources. The information use delimiters to separate information known as comma separated values (CSV) and may contain name value pairs for sending and receiving data through the web.

Today we continued the phone circus exercise we did yesterday. I did a few calls as a customer for the IT and delivery department for Berkmart. I also reversed the role as IT support and received several calls and processed the transactions using Square. The exercise got the easier this time around because we practiced it the day before.

We also did some role exercises rotating roles either as customer, employee or coach in a group of three people. Jacob provided the scenarios we worked on. It is not easy as it seems especially when a customer is distressed and you want to make it right. However, there are limits on what an employee can do and sometimes a customer walks away dissatisfied.

We continued the role play in front of the class which added a bit of nervousness on the people in the exercise.