Computer Stupidities

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pwhodges
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Re: Computer Stupidities

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Postby pwhodges » Wed Jun 07, 2017 10:24 am

My power tripped a couple of days ago, but after I reconnected it I realised that the servers had rebooted. They're on a really big (2200VA) UPS, and the load doesn't even bring up the bottom light of the indicator. When I checked it, a full charge was shown on the batteries, and the self-test warning light was not on; however, a test show that it dropped the power immediately.

Knowing that UPS problems are always the batteries, and having another set to hand (in another working UPS, but that one hums so I don't use it), I tried to remove them. They were completely stuck. Investigation showed that they had swollen and started to burst. As the framework of the UPS is rivetted together rather than bolted, there was no easy way to remove them; fortunately there are plenty of ways to get access, and I was able to use a crowbar to lever them out by force - took me the best part of an hour even so (I was working in the confined space of my loft, where the servers live).

Sadly, in the process I damaged the ribbon cable to the front panel, so I had to bring the UPS downstairs to repair (the cable is soldered in). At least that was possible - with the batteries out it weighs a mere 24kg. The two battery packs add another 11kg each, which is why I'd been working in the loft - getting a 46kg lump down a wobbly ladder is something that these days I choose not to do!

Still, it now works perfectly again, so I just have to get it (in parts) up that ladder again. But why the self-test didn't show any warning light I have no idea (I've seen that happen on other UPSs, though).

Curiously, these UPSs had cost me nothing (except the batteries); the IT officer in another department had thrown them out and replaced them, and I collected them up suspecting he probably hadn't bothered to check the batteries - which turned out to be right. The failed batteries date back to then, so they were nearly 10 years old.
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"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
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pwhodges
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Re: Computer Stupidities

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Postby pwhodges » Mon Jun 26, 2017 4:00 pm

I am trying to make a new website using a CMS I've not used before. It works perfectly (apart from the site being work in progress), except for one thing: it doesn't work on iOS when served via https (all browsers, the same). It's fine using https on Windows or Android, or using http on iOS - just that one combination fails, and only on that website, not on any of my other ones.
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important." (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
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Re: Computer Stupidities

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Postby Dartz » Mon Jul 03, 2017 4:45 pm

View Original Postpwhodges wrote:I am trying to make a new website using a CMS I've not used before. It works perfectly (apart from the site being work in progress), except for one thing: it doesn't work on iOS when served via https (all browsers, the same). It's fine using https on Windows or Android, or using http on iOS - just that one combination fails, and only on that website, not on any of my other ones.


Might be that IOS is rejecting the cert somehow?
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pwhodges
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Re: Computer Stupidities

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Postby pwhodges » Mon Jul 03, 2017 6:39 pm

Not that; if I put a flat page on the web site it works just fine.
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important." (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
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Before 3.0+1.0 there was Afterwards... my post-Q Evangelion fanfic (discussion)

pwhodges
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Re: Computer Stupidities

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Postby pwhodges » Wed Aug 02, 2017 4:41 am

A little history. I first used a computer in 1966 - it was an English Electric Leo Marconi KDF9 (snappy company name, eh?). It was only 20 years after the end of WWII, so the designers were people who had typically served in the forces. The computer's ALU had a hardware stack of 16 words (one word = 48 bits), called the "nesting store", so arithmetic was written in reverse Polish. As the concept of a stack was unfamiliar at the time, the manual had an explanation. Even at the time I thought it was verging on the inappropriate, though it was perfectly effective as a description. Here it is:

SPOILER: Show
Image
"Being human, having your health; that's what's important." (from: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi )
"As long as we're all living, and as long as we're all having fun, that should do it, right?" (from: The Eccentric Family )
Avatar: The end of the journey (details); Past avatars.
Before 3.0+1.0 there was Afterwards... my post-Q Evangelion fanfic (discussion)

Tankred
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Re: Computer Stupidities

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Postby Tankred » Wed Aug 02, 2017 10:29 am

They don't do them like that anymore, hah.

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Re: Computer Stupidities

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Postby soul.assassin » Wed Oct 18, 2017 1:19 pm

Am getting confused despite my best efforts. Sure, all of these use the same IP address range but for some reason I can see the network printer on my PC but not the other computers in the network. The other way around, the wired computers can't see the printer unless I have to connect it to a PC thru USB.

Note that they're all under DHCP, theoretically they're supposed to see each other, all are getting Internet access but...

Image

1. Telco-supplied fiber-optic router/modem; the brand is Chinese-made Fiberhome, and as expected the interface is less than intuitive, and some features have been nerfed off.
2. TPLink gigabit switch I bought and connected by wire to the router/modem
3. ASUS AC1200+ router reconfigured as a switch for the Firestick.
4. An older TPLink router also reconfigured as a switch for another room
5. TPLink extender/AP wireless connected to the Fiberhome modem
6. HP Inkjet printer also connected wireless to the modem.

Same thing happens when I try to access 3. (the ASUS router) page from my PC and come up with nothing but a "Timed Out" page.

My beef is that it's either the the modem or the extender or they're operating in the same SSID cloud, as it seems that something is separating them.

EDIT: Is it just me or that somewhere one of the routers has AP Isolation enabled.

EDIT 2: the modem/router does NOT have a setting for AP Isolation. Apparently it is causing the printer and anything else connected to it to be completely isolated away from the rest of the network, so can't see the printer and vice versa.

EDIT 3: I can access the modem/router settings from my PC and in another PC that was wired, but in that other PC printer settings can't be accessed from its supposed webpage or PINGed directly, although all clients have received DHCP addresses.

EDIT 4: FIXED. Since the modem/router has AP Isolation hard-coded, the only way was to direct the extender (5) to the ASUS switch (3), and then get the printer (6) pointed at the extender (5). Now I can see both the printer and the clients.
Last edited by soul.assassin on Thu Oct 19, 2017 12:42 am, edited 4 times in total.

imprimatur13
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Re: Computer Stupidities

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Postby imprimatur13 » Wed Oct 18, 2017 3:58 pm

View Original Postpwhodges wrote:A little history. I first used a computer in 1966 - it was an English Electric Leo Marconi KDF9 (snappy company name, eh?). It was only 20 years after the end of WWII, so the designers were people who had typically served in the forces. The computer's ALU had a hardware stack of 16 words (one word = 48 bits), called the "nesting store", so arithmetic was written in reverse Polish. As the concept of a stack was unfamiliar at the time, the manual had an explanation. Even at the time I thought it was verging on the inappropriate, though it was perfectly effective as a description. Here it is:

SPOILER: Show
Image

Took me a few minutes, but this is really funny. ^_^
Thanks for my big laugh of the day, pwhodges!
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