Nothing Worse Than a Stale Tool

There is nothing more frustrating than picking up a tool only to find that you cant use it, or its not working as expected.

In this day and age, network tools have evolved to basic computers, running an operating system, memory, processor and software.

Not only do you need to ensure that your tools are physically in good shape with no damage to the connectors and the screen, ensure that the software is up to date. Many times these tools will sit in a bag in a closet door or storage room for months before you go pick them up. I can’t tell you how many times I thought I found something weird on the network only to find out it was a bug with the old software in the tool.

I can also tell you that many times when I appear on-site to help a client, we spend way too much time looking for their tools. I can't tell you how many times I am told that the tools have disappeared, so i have gotten in the habit of bringing my own tools even if I'm told not to bother.

I would suggest that you make a reminder in your calendar every three or four months to review all your tools to ensure that all the cables, power supply, documentation, and more importantly, the software is up to date. Once a year would be a good time to check if you are up to date with your support contracts and train/refresh staff on when and how to use the tools.

In this video, I show you how I keep my Profitap IOTA up to date. If you find that your upgrade process is not obvious or straightforward, I would encourage you to create a small write-up on how to do it. In this case, as you can see it’s a fairly straightforward process.

I would also encourage you to double-check that the update was successful and that nothing else breaks during the upgrade process.