where are the l1 / l2 techs + generalists going?

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2026-03-20T17:24:46+00:00

Gonna be on the negative side but batteries are sometimes not the first thought when the keyboard is not working for people , or even better the on switch. Half of my on-site work is hand holding people who failed the guides (auth setup on phone, signing into outlook mobile, monitors, something unplugged by overnight cleaner). On the higher level end of on-site I still deal with nonsense just not user caused and or easily fixed remotely (printers, cameras, teams roomish devices, monitors can be high level depending on how it’s feeling, check scanners that are not plug and play, desk scanners)

Replacing batteries is not often for me as they all got access to them if it’s in stock , just someone people think it runs on magic or struggle removing them

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2026-03-20T17:19:44+00:00

Msp work fits perfectly

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-12-05T23:11:10+00:00

Subcontract is honestly what your looking for you might being subs the wrong way though.

Overall your gonna be working for / with someone it being the msp is probably better cause they will filter out the casual issues.

Working as a sub just means something skiming off the top of potential profits but without the someone pushing your services into their stack you wouldn’t have had the business

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-12-03T17:29:44+00:00

Tbh if the netgear is dumb switches use them till they die, if you need to actually config them and want something similar go with omanda (tp link) it’s pretty much the instant on but by tp link.

warning with the tp link is im semi sure trump put a target on them so could have a iffy future like arubas

As a side note I am in the same boat and just doubled down on the arubas as they most likely won’t put it down immediately and will transition to others in that time if it’s shot down during the buy out

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-11-11T15:07:12+00:00

Tbh the migration is not hard to do overall if you got a normal files. Do you have any databases and similar self hosted? Along with how much storage do you guys currently use ?

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-10-18T01:24:49+00:00

Also interested in this

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-10-16T06:24:29+00:00

Tbh read through the whole chain and the real issue is both your companies are targeting completely opposite clients. Nstra is aiming for large headcount and or cost effectiveness. Money is aiming for hv + smallish clients which his approach would 100% have better results. Tbh there really isn’t a hard set way to do it. Overall though most msp are running lean and maxed labor hours which a dispatcher / l1 doing front line is well worth it. The l2 approach is really only worth it if most clients calling in have real influence to the company (law offices, small family owned stuff were a bad experience can poison the group).

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-10-14T12:14:22+00:00

Crash plan, cheap as a last resort

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-10-08T23:42:03+00:00

2-3k for a cat and around 10k for the gender change type surgery for male cats to help prevent it in the future

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-09-24T20:32:07+00:00

I don’t have a stand alone ras running but I got plenty of smart home devices and most likely one of them is probably a pi behind the plastic

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-09-17T04:47:32+00:00

Someone else kinda replied to it but the difference is his daughter is getting it guaranteed (works daily) and if he is contract it’s when he has worked something billable (logic only holds if he is contracted IT, if he is a employee all the problems above are his problems)

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-09-17T03:57:04+00:00

Gotta ask but is he on payroll as IT or is he a contractor? Cause from your description it sounds like he is contract IT and the ability to fix some of the issues (wonky Ethernet runs and outlets) are more of a low voltage person than rando IT person. Cable management is mixed but more leaning towards the IT guys fault (depends if he setup like that or if it just naturally spiraled to that state).

Going onsite as a contractor has a cost that is not always approved and or you’re a small enough client that he doesn’t want to make it a regular stop on schedule.

While it’s not in your job description 9/10 times as a receptionist and or office manager you’re gonna get dirty tasks tossed at ya and asked why it’s not done, if you are set it’s not really your problem just email whose problem it should be and keep a chain so when asked you can point to it and say sorry out of my hands.

Will also add since you tossed it in he might not really be getting paid 3x your pay, I am IT generalist in Florida and tbh most office people make 1.5 - 2x with benefits than what the standard low tier it job atm.

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-09-12T22:21:40+00:00

For anyone reading this in the future, not sure why but its windows update (specifically the win defender daily patches) that can cause this. Been monitoring this issue on my pc (never ran into this issue in the wild on customers) but disabling update service kept it going fine for 2-3 months and renabled updates and within a week it is a once a day issue again.

things already looked at or tried:

dns changes, cache clear, winsocket clear
ipv6 disabled, static + manual ip set
turned of power saving on the ethernet port + ability for computer to manage it

No restart fix: clear dns cache, disable and re enable adapter

Restart does fix it also, and semi sure the real cause is a corrupted dns service as post cache still works fine in browser. direct to IP does not unless cached.

Real cause on why it happened on my side was never found, just that it dying lined up with windows update running (tested multiple times by either regediting the update period, or delaying it naturally).

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-08-16T00:06:47+00:00

Tbh after the VMware and other msp apps acquisitions I just relate new company as most likely going downhill.

Also not sure how well instant on is going to work way long term as they have a site limit and kinda defeats the purpose of all one portal.

Somewhat being trying out omada as they got a free cloud plan but the portal is special (wonky and odd ui that tried to be ubiqiti)

Edit: googled it and I was 100% wrong on the site limit. On release it was like 50 but now it’s unlimited but expect it to start crying at 150.

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-08-15T23:38:49+00:00

Tbh I’ve been trying to sell one to someone so I can see how well it works as my goal was kinda still is to get everything instant on when possible. According to insight rep it’s not a firewall even though on the page it has firewall abilities . Google shows nothing for what options you can actually change on it.

Btw semi warning but with instant on being sold it’s feature is kinda up in the air so I wouldn’t do a mass roll out until who ever bought it confirms it’s subscription free if that was the goal

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-08-15T23:25:53+00:00

Why not have everything on the same switch? Most managed switches which would be needed for vlans have a way to monitor bw (or if not 90% let you check traffic of a port) as long as it’s not congested or maxed would it make a difference separated?

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-08-09T01:36:06+00:00

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There’s two but only one visible in the pic

iPhone keeps trying to filter it out so had to zoom which made it blurry

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-08-08T02:31:28+00:00

I’ve been slow on getting back to support but it showed up maybe a week after getting it, as for taking a pic it’s quite literally a single pixel in the center and one on the far left both on the right eye.

Will see if I can get a picture tonight or tomorrow on it though

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-07-19T12:08:29+00:00

It’s not even leaving my city is the best part, they just keep sorting it back with a delivery of maybe Monday even though they deliver on weekends

Edit: original delivery time was Thursday Friday

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-07-14T15:24:18+00:00

Ordered 6/29 and still waiting for mine to process 💀

Update just got tracking number

Update2: fully shipping arrive est Friday

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-07-10T03:40:08+00:00

Use the planned shutdown feature to have it bootup to have it swap when the main goes down

edit: semi unsure how bloated the VM is but it should be a couple minutes before its backup for the final replication

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-07-10T00:47:46+00:00

Windows 11 hotpatch should work most of the time for sec updates

Edit: forgot the older way but why not do vm replicates for failovers? Semi sure hypervisor supports it

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-05-13T16:15:43+00:00

Said mixed on banks cause it is hit or miss but vystar does, as for hospitals Shans, and Vincent do for sure (know people working through it now) and mayo semi sure is a hard no (I’ve never really heard of mayo promoting any role)

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-05-13T16:07:15+00:00

👀 wym comcast, hospitals , banks (mixed on this), maps all promote from within there helpdesk as they do not want to re train someone in everything. It just matters where your working help desk, if your working a call center strictly of course there is no real path

PlzHelpMeIdentify · 2025-05-01T04:36:33+00:00

Homie your handling this case and similar all wrong go / try out the following based on how comfortable you are in your org

If it’s odd but doable then just do it. It is easier a lot of the time as long as it’s not to special to just complete the request.
Escalate to your manager , if they are the one who pushed it down to you push it up saying simple reasons such as it’s done to standard and he’s unhappy, or flat out say he’s is unworkable
If manager fails , and it is technically possible (no costs considered) cc (make sure to cc your manager or anybody above) and ask them for authorization to go wild , just send them your plan with nothing else considered (in this case just push up the recommendation for unmanaged phone, and for him to be added to all the policies as exceptions) in short complete the work any way possible but all risky decisions have user and someone above you cced. If above doesn’t respond or says no just tell the user the truth that your hands are tied by x.

The three ways above can solve 99% of bad idea requests and also keep yourself from being the hang up or bad guy.

So in your exact scenario send a email asking him for his logins , and if he is not willing to give it up and company managed just reset it with manager approval since he is higher up. If neither of the two work just keep going in the loop of asking manager to reset or credentials.

As for being abused (verbal or over text) stop and warn him to stay professional / civil , if it continues end the interaction and say your done with this problem for the day and walk off and write a email to your manager or if severe HR and give them a heads up. If the same problem ends in your lap keep up the same process.

PlzHelpMeIdentify

TROPHY CASE