LITTLEBLACKDOG.COM

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:16 pm Post subject: Yet Another Geek Squad Rant

Putting this thread here in hopes Google will index it and show the world that these guys continue to be the biggest idiots on the planet.

So my neighbor across the street has been trying to get me to come over and look at his network for him. He tells me that his wireless connection drops out alot. He told me he bought a laptop, wireless router and Network Printer a while back from Best Buy and had the "techs" from Geek Squad come over and get everything setup for him.

So I went over to his place last night and sat down in front of his laptop that his wife just booted up and logged in for me. I notice that it is seeing the wireless network but isn't getting an IP address. It's showing me all zeros in ipconfig. So I am trying to do an ipconfig release and renew and that is not working. Then all of sudden I see that the Windows Wireless network icon isn't animating anymore in the task tray. So I open up a cmd prompt again and do an ipconfig. This time I get an external IP address of 72.X.X.X. I am thinking to myself, "How the hell is that possible." If he has a wireless router he should be getting a 192.168.X.X ip address.

So I ask my neighbor to show me where his router is. He takes me downstairs and shows me the cable modem and router. So I start by following the cord coming out of the WAN port of his router. Now most of us would expect to follow this cord back to the cable modem. Not if you are Geek Squad Tech. If you are a Geek Squad Tech you plug it into the desktop computer sitting next to the router and modem.

So I then start following the cat5 from the cable modem to see which port it is plugged into on the router. It is plugged into port 1 which isn't even next to the WAN port on the router. His printer is plugged into port 4.

So I start explaining to my neighbor what they did wrong so far. And I see a lightbulb go on his head right away. He asks me if this is why he can't print to the network printer from his desktop computer which is currently plugged into the WAN port. The Geek Squad Tech told him that after he setup everything that he would not be able to print to the network printer from his desktop. Only from his wireless laptop. Geek squad told him that this is the only way it will work. "Yeah, no shit Sherlock." Considering you don't know how to plug in cables into all the devices. I didn't check but I would assume his desktop was getting a 192 ip address and his laptop and printer were getting an IP address from Road Runners DHCP servers. Or maybe both DHCP servers were running havoc with his computers. Road Runner allows you to have up to 4 dynamic IP addresses. I then proceeded to ask him why Geek Squad just didn't plug the USB cable into his desktop because it was sitting right next to the computer. Geek Squad said you have to use one or the other. As far as my experience has been you can use both at the same time. I did it at my wifes work with an all in one printer she has. Nothing in the manual for the printer says you can't use both either.

So I reroute all the cables to their proper place, reboot everything and wala, everything is working just hunky dory except for the printer. So I uninstall the printer from both comuters and rerun the network setup on both of his computers and that is working fine now.

So then I ask him for the login to the router. At least they changed the default password on the router, but my god they could have at least made the password for the router something that the customer is going to remember instead of something that has the words Geek Squad in it. Idiots.

I immediatley check to see how they have the wireless encryption setup. Yes they did have wireless encryption setup but guess what they used. You guessed it. 64bit WEP. Both the router and laptop can do WPA or WPA2 but they decided to setup 64 bit WEP.

I am just about ready to tell my neighbor to march down there tommorow with all my findings of their incompetence. But I held back and figured this would blow off enough steam. And to think I can't get a job working for them. I applied there 3 times when I was out of work. Apparently you have to be a fricken moron to work there.

Stray Dog Joined: 13 Nov 2007 Posts: 63

they can't hire you, because you would make them look like fools.

oh and for googles sake. geek squad Smile

Leg Humper Joined: 11 Oct 2003 Posts: 5997

rant 7/10

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 1:48 pm Post subject:

foxinhand wrote:
rant 7/10

I really wanted to let the colorful language come out but then I would have to put it into the Rants section.

Guide Dog Joined: 08 Nov 2003 Posts: 8259 Location: MN

Geek squad setup one of our sales reps with a wireless router.

First off they did the same deal with plugging it in backwards, Secondly, They didn't give them the wep key the setup or the router password, 3rdly they Sold them TWO wireless usb adaptors, one for the desktop, which was right next to the router, and one for the laptop which had internal wireless, finally they turned off DHCP in favor of their own made up addresses on the desktop.

So after getting the desktop wired in, correctly, and uninstalling the software for the usb wireless. Then setting up their wireless printer to work with the wep key we added after hard reseting the router (geek squad didn't bother setting up the printer at all), we uninstalled the usb wireless from the laptop, and setup the internal wifi card properly.

After getting all that working, I had to explain that she wouldn't be able to use the wireless printer when her laptops was 1) on the vpn (I know our vpn is poorly laid out) 2) not at home. Apparently the geek squad told her that it would work from any where in the world to her printer.... (probably because they though hooking the router up backwards would help that since the fire wall was on the wrong side)

After explaining all of this, and convincing her (since everything was working now and it wasn't when the geek squad left) that they were flipping idiots she decided she was going to return the two USB wifi adapters, and ask for a refund on the job they did, since they spend an hour hooking it up incorrectly, and I spent and hour helping her out over the phone, she figured that it canceled out.

Now having been on this womans bad side previously, and as she is a sales rep (read slightly psychotic type AAA personality) I'm sure she got a refund on the USB keys, and while I doubt she managed to raise enough of a scene in the store to convince them to just pay her off with her own money so she would leave, I'd be surprised if she didn't get something out of them (in either blood or lost costumers from people listening to her horror story in the store)

I two have been declined a position at the geek squad. Their loss. Clearly me and Squashman's gain.

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:04 pm Post subject:

Microsoft and Geeksquad... job security for those who know how to PROPERLY set up computers/networks

EEps · Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 4:20 pm Post subject:

anglachel wrote:
I two have been declined a position at the geek squad. Their loss. Clearly me and Squashman's gain.

Apparently, you both scored high enough to put the management completely out of business...and you were supposed to be trying out fer the entry level jobs... Blush Smile

Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject:

As anyone here knows me...... I am tech support for people in the tri state area (friends and family) and my first call for tech support is lwd/lbd/lbd irc chat. I avoid any of the big box store's "tech suxors" at any cost!!!

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:51 am Post subject:

This is what happens when a retail store offers technical services at minimum wage.

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:13 am Post subject:

I too was declined for a job with Geek Squad, and likewise have spent more than a few hours fixing stuff they jacked up on friends' computers/networks.

EEps · Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:16 am Post subject:

GibsonSG wrote:
I too was declined for a job with Geek Squad, and likewise have spent more than a few hours fixing stuff they jacked up on friends' computers/networks.

I keep telling you guys...yer over qualified! Wink Smile

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:29 am Post subject:

someone should start LBD Roving Repair Men.

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 7:40 am Post subject:

Rahhstah wrote:
someone should start LBD Roving Repair Men.

I initially read that as Loving Repair Men.

Posted: Wed Jan 30, 2008 8:00 am Post subject:

Rahhstah wrote:
someone should start LBD Roving Repair Men.

Roving Reaper Men?

Guide Dog Joined: 08 Nov 2003 Posts: 8259 Location: MN

T wrote:
Rahhstah wrote:
someone should start LBD Roving Repair Men.

I initially read that as Loving Repair Men.

I can do both!