A big sarcastic thank you to Easy NET.
EasyNET is my ISP. I host my own webserver on site and use EasyNET for the internet connection. I lost my primary internet connection at 6am on Friday 12th August and over 24hrs later the connection has still not been restored.
I’ve had no email and no website in that whole time which is a nightmare for me. I have over 60 people working here with me and, as you would expect with modern business, we rely heavily upon the internet for email communication and information finding.
I understand that things can and do go wrong with technology and its not always easy to resolve but my main complaint with EasyNET has to be the fact that I have had so many stories from them about the problem. I thought I would share a few:
7:45am Friday
EasyNET: We installed some new hardware over night and are just finishing configuring the exchange. The situation will be resolved with the hour.
9:00am Friday
EasyNET: There was a minor fire in the exchange overnight and we are just working to resolve the problems this has caused, connection will be resolved within the next hour.
11:00am Friday
EasyNET: We have an engineer on site. He is just finishing up, any time now.
1:00pm Friday
EasyNET: We need to reboot the exchange. There are about 25 customers in your position but we are unable to reboot the exchange until 6pm.
2:00pm Friday
Call from EasyNET engineer: We are just calling to advise our customers connected to this exchange that we are about to reboot the system. You may be without Internet connectivity for about 15 minutes(!!)
Me: We haven’t had any internet connectivity all day!
EasyNET: Oh well your connection might come back up after the reboot.
Me: What about the fire then?
EasyNET: What fire?
4:00pm Friday
EasyNET: We have broken the exchange and don’t know what’s wrong with it. Call back later and we’ll tell you.
5:00pm Friday
EasyNET: An engineer is on site and will be replacing a card. He will not leave the exchange until the problem is resolved.
6:15pm Friday
EasyNET: The engineer is waiting for a new card to arrive. He is on site and will fit it as soon as the part arrives.
8:00pm Friday
EasyNET: The engineer has fitted the part and is just testing the system. Connection will be restored within the hour.
9:30pm Friday
EasyNET: The engineer has just collected the replacement card from our offices and will be going to site straight away. Internet connectivity will be restored by 11pm.
Me: I was told the engineer had already fitted the new card and had been on site all day!
EasyNET: I can’t see that information anywhere on the system.
11:00pm Friday
EasyNET: The engineer is now working in the exchange
4:00am Saturday
EasyNET: We are waiting for the engineer to collect a replacement card from our offices.
Me: I was told he did that last night and was on site fitting it at 11pm?
EasyNET: I don’t see that on my screen.
7:30am Saturday
EasyNET: The engineer is on his way from Birmingham to London to collect the part that he needs then he will be going to the exchange to fit it. The connection will be fixed by lunchtime today.
Me: I was told the engineer was on site all day yesterday and had the part at 8:00 yesterday and would not leave until the connection was fixed.
EasyNET: I can’t tell you if he was there or not yesterday but he will be there today.
ARGH!!!!
Needless to say the internet connection has not been restored. EasyNET do not know when this will be fixed and will presumably dream up further excuses in the mean time.
I’m sure that EasyNET will give me a big cheque for compensation – YEAH RIGHT!
So I’m temporarily using my home connection to host my blog. If anyone has had the patience to read all this – and I doubt there will be anyone, then I apologise of the page has taken a long time to load!
Matt
The launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has been scrubbed for today due to a ‘fuel problem’.
Next scheduled attempt is tomorrow morning.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): mars, nasa, Space Shuttle, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, Space, Science]
The launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is expected to go ahead as planned today.
The mission’s first launch opportunity window is 11:50 to 13:35 BST, Thursday. If the launch is postponed, additional launch windows open daily at different times each morning throughout August. For trips from Earth to Mars, the planets move into good position for only a short period every 26 months. The best launch position is when Earth is about to overtake Mars in their concentric racing lanes around the Sun.
The probe will investigate the history of water on Mars and hunt for landing sites for future manned missions.
The delay comes one day after Nasa celebrated the successful return to Earth of the space shuttle Discovery.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): mars, nasa, Space Shuttle, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, Space, Science]
Microsoft is urging Windows users to update their systems with the latest security patches it has released to fix three critical flaws in its software.
The flaws mostly affect Windows 2000 and Internet Explorer. Users with updated Windows Server 2003 and XP systems are not as much at risk.
If left unplugged, they could allow hackers and virus writers to take control of personal computers remotely
Everyone should go to Windows Update and make sure that their computer is fully updated!
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): microsoft, windows, patch, technology, software]
Todays launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has had to be postponed after the discovery of problems with the Atlas V launch rocket.
The launch is now scheduled for tomorrow morning at 1135 GMT from Launch Complex 41, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and is the first government launch of Lockheed Martin’s Atlas V launch vehicle. The orbiter will study Mars to understand the planet’s water riddles and to advance the exploration of the mysterious red planet.
The probe will investigate the history of water on Mars and hunt for landing sites for future manned missions.
The delay comes one day after Nasa celebrated the successful return to Earth of the space shuttle Discovery.
The new Mars orbiter cost over $500m (£280m) to build and is due to arrive in Mars’ orbit in March 2006, for a 25-month mission.
Matt
(Image Credit: Nasa/KSC)
[Technorati tag(s): mars, nasa, Space Shuttle, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MRO, Space, Science]
[color=#6200aa]There have been six shuttles built:[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Enterprise (OV-101)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Challenger (OV-99)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Columbia (OV-102)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Discovery (OV-103)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Atlantis (OV-104)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Endeavour (OV-105)[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Enterprise was a test vehicle for the shuttle program and was not intended for space flight. It is on display at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C.[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Challenger was also originally built as a test vehicle, known as STA-099, for the shuttle program but in 1979 NASA decided to get her upgraded to become a space-rated orbiter known as OV-099. Her maiden space flight launched on 4th April 1983 on mission STS-6. She was the first shuttle to launch and land at night and the first to carry an American female astronaut. She flew only 9 successful mission before she was lost. On her 10th mission STS-51L an explosion 73 seconds into the flight meant the loss of her and her crew.[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Columbia was the first shuttle to go in to space. Her maiden flight was launched on 12th April 1981, mission STS-1. She was the heaviest shuttle in the fleet and because of this was unable to take part in the construction of the International Space Station. Columbia was also the carrier of the maiden flight for ‘Spacelab’. Columbia successful completed 27 mission before her last mission STS-107 ended in disaster on 1st February 2003 with the loss of her and her crew at re-entry due to damage to her wing which occurred during launch.[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Discovery was the third shuttle to join the fleet and is now the oldest shuttle left in service with her maiden flight on 30th August 1984, mission STS-41D. Discovery has completed the most missions of any of the shuttle at 31, including the successful landing today of mission STS-114. Discovery has twice been the chosen shuttle of NASA for their ‘Return to Flight’ programs, first time was STS-26 in 1988 after the loss of Challenger and again this time after the loss of Columbia with STS-114. [/color]
[color=#6200aa]Atlantis was the forth shuttle to join the fleet with her maiden flight on 3rd October 1985, mission STS-51J with carried a classified payload for the US Department of Defense. Atlantis weighs 151,315 pounds, which is 3.5 tons lighter than Columbia. Atlantis has successfully completed 26 missions and is due to launch on STS-121 later this year (subject to any delays as a result of findings from Discovery’s mission STS-114).[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Endeavour is the most recent shuttle to join the fleet. She was built as a replacement for Challenger and her maiden flight was STS-49, which launched on 7th May 1992. Endeavour has had her weight reduced to minimum to maximise her payload capacity. She has successfully completed 19 mission and was the last successful flight prior to the Columbia disaster with STS-113, which went to the International Space Station. Endeavour started a period of maintenance and modifications in December 2003 to return her to ‘as new’ condition for a safe return to flight.[/color]
[color=#6200aa]Tracy[/color]
(Image: Nasa)
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science, Enterprise, Challenger, Columbia, Atlantis, Endeavour]
Shuttle lands safely.
Despite the problems experienced with the launch, heat shield damage, thermal blanket damage and delays due to bad weather, the American Space Shuttle Discovery has landed safely at Edwards Airforce Base in California.
The re-entry and landing was televised live by most of the world’s media channels. It has been a long time since a shuttle landing has attracted so much attention.
I hope that the problems with the foam lagging on the External Tank can be quickly resolved so that Nasa’s shuttle programme can resume normal service.
I would like to congratulate the crew of Discovery, STS-114 astronauts Steve Robinson, Jim Kelly, Andy Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, Charlie Camarda, Eileen Collins and Soichi Noguchi as well as the vast numbers of people behind the scenes that make manned space flight possible.
Matt
(Images: Nasa)
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]
The crew of the shuttle Discovery are preparing to return to Earth after bad visibility in Florida forced a delay on Monday.
Nasa hopes to bring the shuttle down at 1007 BST (0507 EST; 0907 GMT) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If the weather remains a problem in Florida, the shuttle could land at air bases in California or New Mexico.
UPDATE: Nasa has been forced to delay the return of the shuttle due to bad weather in Florida. The new estimated return time is 11:43 BST.
UPDATE: The landing site has now been moved to Edwards Airforce Base in California at an expected time of 13:12 BST.
UPDATE: Discovery has fired her engines for a de-orbital burn that slows the Shuttle down enough to begin re-entry. There is no going back now!
Watch for updates throughout the morning.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]
Due to bad weather and low lying cloud cover at Kenedy Space Center the Space Shuttle Discovery’s return to earth has been delayed by 24 hours.
Other landing opportunities are scheduled for Tuesday at Kennedy Space Center and the back-up strip at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Matt
[Technorati tag(s): shuttle, nasa, Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Discovery, Discovery, Space, Science]
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