What should I do??

Sounds to me that the problem you found was in fact a symptom of the problem that caused everything else to crash.

Your only mistake was calling the panel as a likely source of the issue after 4 cables. What you should have done was try 1 known good lead and had the conviction at that point to look and see if the problem was somewhere else. You may well have found that even before the servers crashed the problem was not local to that PC. With a bit more time I'm sure you would have been looking in the servers direction anyway.

Sounds like they know jack about networks if they think that you not plugging a cable fully in is going to bring all the servers down.

The clincher for me is that the company obviously has a blame culture and that those apportioning the blame do not undestand what the hell they are talking about. Don't think I'd be looking to work there long term.

Sometimes there is no answer at all. Life can be really unfair. There are a lot of incompetent managers out there and you've obviously found a den of them. Try to make friends with people outside your chain of command so your managers will hear from independent sources that you're pretty talented.

Meanwhile, take as many classes as you can, even if you have to pay for them. There is indeed no surplus of IT jobs right now so you should try to hang onto this one until the employment market perks up, whenever that will be.

I wouldn't tollerate that if I was you...

I understand you circumstances and your sitation, but you are now dealing with your integrity and honor.

You know you didn't do it. I would tell them that, if they choose to push the issue, walk. Let them sort it out, and when they can't who will really be screwed then???

You should be able to find a job working somewhere (maybe not IT immediately) relatively quick. Just work it out from there.

of you having caused the problem by swapping a patch cable are about as high as invisible alien pranksters playing a joke on you.

There would have to be something seriously wrong with the wiring.

However while I commend your enthusiasm and initiative, you should concentrate on investigating some troubleshooting strategies before you (if ever for these jerks) try solving this sort of problem again.

One cable swap if it was visibly damaged or if you had a known issue with them would have been called for.

When troubleshooting you should do as much as possible to isolate the fault before you change anything.

I'd certainly have checked the cable was plugged in at both ends and not in two pieces(seen that happen).
Then I'd have pinged local host on the target PC
Then I'd have verified the other pcs in the same area were working, if not in another.
If so
Then I'd have rebooted.
Then I'd have swapped the cable, confident that it most probably is that or the socket in the panel to wherever that might go.

Other possibilities would depend on how you're wired up.
For instance could you have pinged a pc on the same section of the LAN, could they ping the problem PC.

Is there a local hub or switch in the mix, was the server working at all.

What is working is just as important as what isn't. Find out as much as you can, before you make a change.

I ain't knocking you, I found out the hard way myself, with good old RS232 in the early 80s.

A little anecdote.

I spent two days trying to find a fault with the asumption method. Eventually I found that some thickheaded electrician had wired both pairs to a two terminal connector block behind a panel. About the last place you'd look for the fault and the last place I did.

The most annoying thing was all the information I needed to isolate the fault was in plain view , but by the time I'd found it I'd swapped every thing but the door handle to the new office.

You've been taught a harsh lesson, not so much by making a mistake as by not being able to prove that you hadn't.

My strategy would be to find out as much as you can about the set up, draw it out if there isn't one. Then think up what if scenarios, and come up with passive ways to discover where what and if are.

From the sound of it you're going to get plenty of opportunities to hone your skills while looking for another job.

HTH
Don't get too down hearted, I've learnt from much more catastrophic 'mistakes' than this in my career.

Along with these two replies and based one the company culture.....I'd just chalk it up to a bad day & move on.

I think your story sums up the sorry state that management is in today. Hire 1 or 2 people to run the enterprise, and expect them to be experts in everything. Then they blame you for problems - rather than finding and eliminating the cause.

"Let he who has never sinned, cast the first stone"

Hi,

I'm curious to know what your local technology landscape looks like. You said it took you a long time to find this job. Did you make contacts during your search? Is there a local chapter of the software contractor's guild? How about the ACM? This company is able to hold you over a barrel because you're frightened for your job - I remember a time when computer people were treated with respect because we were hard to come by.

So can you give details about where you are and what the area is like jobwise? We might all learn from your experience.

Thanks,

JP

Well you probably have more than enough experience to find a good job.. it just sucks for more entry-level people like myself (although I kinda have 2 and a half years exp).

Following the crash and while fingers were wagging looking to point blame somewhere I'd have been on the event logs faster than a rat up a drainpipe - they might just show the real culprit. That's assuming you don't have a sniffer intalled on the network - for all you know the outtage may have been caused by a VP downloading dodgy stuff off the net!

This is still worth looking into if the logs are still there!

This is a bunch of ideas. Maybe nothing will work for you (or someone else reading this) but see if it sparks ideas that will.

How about a reevaluation of what you are doing? The IT field has specialties and those specialties require particular skill and mind sets. I've worked with some really unhappy programmers who became very happy network and PC support techs. I've heard of the reverse where someone has hated the technical side and really enjoyed the programming side. Which are you having more success in, the web site work or the network part? Which is more fun? Which is W O R K? I'm a programmer type network and hardware work is a four letter word for me.

I've met some talented people that enjoy the technical and creative sides of the industry and are good at both. So maybe your answer is yes to both. If it's not start directing your training and energy to the part you think is fun and get's your juices going.

Microsoft has a lot of good training information on their website for .Net. Try this site for some tutorials to help you get started. http://www.msdn.microsoft.com/vbasic/atthemovies/
This site is a goldmine of information http://www.msdn.microsoft.com

For the technical side the msdn equivalent is http://www.microsoft.com/technet/default.mspx

For those who have several years of experience using Microsoft technologies those sites should be familiar to you. If not you are not using the web to it's fullest extent. So learn more about what you can find on the web and how to do searches.

As far as a job hunt. The big problem with IT is most of the jobs aren't with companies who are in the IT field. Prior to my entering IT I was in bindery and auto mechanics, pretty easy job hunting in those fields. I just searched for companies in my line of work since the majority of jobs are in those kinds of businesses. In IT the local vetrinarian or grocery store might be a potential employer.

In any area it takes some resourcefulness to find a job in the field. It's a pretty good bet the people hiring you have no clue when it comes to what you do. Hence they are nervous and that's why the 8 year experience thing comes into play. And it's a good bet that the people they are looking for don't exist I've been amazed at some of the anouncements. A year after Visual Studio .Net was released I saw adds looking for 10 years experience, at the time 4 was possible if a person had been on Microsofts testing program! Apply anyway they will end up hiring the person they think comes the closest to what they want. If they hire no one they really weren't looking for someone in the first place. You need to have good self-esteem and not be doubting your ability.

You also need to find some ways to network. User groups are a good beginning point, volunteering with some charities may also open some opportunities. Go back and talk to your teachers about your abilities, ask them about what they think you are good at. And believe them. If you know someone is generally negative don't ask them you need some positive assesments.

To come across as knowledgeable don't downplay your experience a year working in a college lab is a year of experience. Probably some of the best you'll get since you probably fixed some mistakes by predecessors. Be positive about what you know and don't get flustered when things get frustrating. Get on some newsgroups and answer questions people post and read answers to questions. This is a great source of information and you can learn from others experience. If you see a question that isn't answered do some research see if you can find an answer to the question. You will probably learn a lot in the process and if you can help the person who is stuck that's icing on the cake.

Go do a search on this site (http://msdn.microsoft.com/usergroups/) I found two Microsoft user groups in Tampa and both might be of value to you (Small Business Server is used by people with small networks and anywhere there are PCs there will probably be a network). You know your area better than I do you might find more. (I live in Oregon) The first session of the Portland Visual Basic Users Group I ever attended I announced I was looking for work, was asked for a resume and had a job a week later. A real fluke but things like that can happen.

Besides the newsgroups on Technet try the Microsoft ones http://msdn.microsoft.com/newsgroups/

Do you have a wireless network? If yes, is it secure? Are your neighbors wireless networks secure? If not try and find them, knock on doors and offer to secure their network for free or a modest fee. I have a friend with an A+ certification and when he needs some 'mad' money he gets his sniffer out and looks for an 'easy' $25.00. You might get lucky and make a contact that leads to a new job.

Most people with computers have a tool they are using to get the task they want to do done. They aren't interested in the tool itself and these people need help setting up home networks, small office networks, setting up security, removing spyware etc. Get your enteprenureal hat and make a little side money, get some experience and who knows maybe become self-employed in a few years.

Go work for a temporary outfit it provides a paycheck, but not a stable one. :( More importantly it provides a way for an employer to try you out, and a chance for you to try them out. I found my current job as a temp and I'm a programmer but my position title is Research Analyst. I would not have found this job any other way. It can also provide experience, references and contacts to find permanent work.

Does the agency in your state that issues unemployment checks have services to help people find jobs? They probably do and it's probably available to people who are employed. Get a resume tune up and check the job boards for work. Keep in mind advertised jobs at best represent 10% of the available jobs.