TL;DR
A reader of The Register's On Call column described a support interaction where scripted advice ignored the real cause of a VPN failure. After being advised to wipe and reinstall equipment, the techs found that an incorrect router clock—shifted by daylight saving time—was the culprit and resolved it themselves.
What happened
The Register's On Call published a reader submission from a contributor anonymized as "Rodney," who criticized help-desk staff relying on canned troubleshooting steps. Rodney and a colleague were trying to get two firewalls to form a VPN and engaged a support contractor recommended by the firewall vendor. Rather than investigate the work already done, the contractor instructed them to erase configurations, reinstall firewall operating systems, and adopt a rule base that conflicted with company policy. The agent also placed them on hold multiple times while charging the full support rate. While waiting, Rodney and his colleague noticed the routers' clocks were off by one hour after a recent daylight saving time change. Correcting the time restored VPN connectivity and allowed them to reinstate their original rule sets. Rodney refused to pay for the unhelpful support, copied his company's legal team on correspondence, and says the matter was not pursued further.
Why it matters
- Relying on scripted troubleshooting can waste time and money when it overlooks environment-specific issues.
- Basic system settings, such as device clocks, can cause connectivity failures and should be checked early in diagnosis.
- Vendors and contractors may recommend drastic remediations that conflict with customer policies; independent verification matters.
- Billing practices that charge during hold times raise questions about accountability for ineffective support.
Key facts
- The story was published in The Register's On Call, a reader-contributed column.
- The contributor is identified in the column as "Rodney."
- Help-desk staff reportedly defaulted to scripted instructions rather than troubleshooting the customer's specific setup.
- The support contractor advised wiping configurations, reinstalling firewall OSes, and using a rule base contrary to company policy.
- During the support call the contractor placed customers on hold repeatedly and billed both at full rate.
- The actual fault was an incorrect router clock setting after a daylight saving time change.
- Correcting the clock restored VPN connectivity and allowed the original firewall rules to work.
- Rodney refused to pay for the support, CC'ed his company's legal team, and says the contractor did not pursue the matter further.
What to watch next
- Be alert to one-size-fits-all scripts (for example, blanket advice to clear caches or reinstall) that ignore prior troubleshooting.
- Verify basic device settings early—time and timezone misconfigurations can disrupt network services like VPNs.
- Review support contracts and billing practices so ineffective assistance can be challenged or declined.
Quick glossary
- Help desk: A service that provides technical support and troubleshooting for users and customer systems.
- Cache and cookies: Temporary data stored by browsers and applications to speed up loading; clearing them is a common troubleshooting step.
- VPN (Virtual Private Network): A technology that creates a secure, encrypted connection over a public network to enable private communications between sites or users.
- Firewall: A network device or software that enforces security policies by controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic.
- Daylight saving time: The practice of setting clocks forward by one hour during warmer months to extend evening daylight, which can affect system timestamps and schedules.
Reader FAQ
Did Rodney and his colleague fix the problem themselves?
Yes. They adjusted the routers' clocks after noticing a one-hour discrepancy and the VPN began working; they then reloaded their original rule sets.
Was the support contractor recommended by the firewall vendor?
Yes. The contractor had been recommended by the firewall vendor, according to the submission.
Did Rodney pay the support bill or renew the contract?
Rodney refused to pay for the unhelpful support, notified his company's legal team, and said the support contractor did not pursue the matter further.
Is it common for help desks to use scripted responses?
Not confirmed in the source
SECURITY Help desk read irrelevant script, so techies found and fixed their own problem As you should, when being told the only remedy is deleting everything and starting again Simon…
Sources
- Help desk read irrelevant script, so techies found and fixed their own problem
- Help desk read useless script, so techies made their own fix
- Why are people who work at computer helpdesks often …
- Refused to load the script because it violates the following …
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