Mastodawn

ssekret

@ssekret@infosec.exchange

6 Followers

99 Following

388 Posts

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou panels 4d ago

varx/tech May 21

I very much get a "we just discovered radium and want to put it in everything" vibe from this whole generative AI bubble.

(Including the thing where companies used to slap the word "radium" on existing products even though they thankfully did not actually have any radioactive materials. Like "radium butter".)

the time of man is over

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 25, 2022

if you've ever messed up a dimension or a hole position on something you're building, don't be too hard on yourself.

at least you're not the Cisco design engineer who caused an entire product line recall by placing the mode button (which resets the switch if held) directly above an RJ45 port.

#life #animals #cat #caturday #mastocats #catsofmastodon #catcontent

Coach Pāṇini ®Jun 28

🔥

nixCraft 🐧6d ago

Good 👍 The year of the European Union Linux desktop may finally arrive - True digital sovereignty begins at the desktop. Privacy and safety is important. Microsoft is not trustworthy vendor anymore and it’s OS and apps are spyware. https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/27/the_european_union_linux_desktop/

CatSalad🐈🥗 (D.Burch)

So I heard fedi like trains

Eniko Fox Jun 28

Vega Rose Dawn Lyra Harmonia Jun 28

"nah bro trust me, the final phase of matrix verification is kissing"

×

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 25, 2022

if you've ever messed up a dimension or a hole position on something you're building, don't be too hard on yourself.

at least you're not the Cisco design engineer who caused an entire product line recall by placing the mode button (which resets the switch if held) directly above an RJ45 port.

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 25, 2022

it's pretty impressive to fail so hard that you become a worldwide internal meme at a company the size of Cisco. back when I worked there, I saw this image used in slide decks and on posters in several different offices.

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 25, 2022

(I should've really said "Cisco design engineering team" rather than just one engineer; this is very much a combination of process & oversight failures)

Tom R Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland I was about to say, blaming one person is a bit rich. The fact that it made it to production indicated a total breakdown of their processes.

Still wild though ☺

Carl Liebold 🚀Nov 26, 2022

@gsuberland This is a mistake by the Product Manager. But also, it should have been caught by the test team. That said, it's a PM mistake. Stuff like this happens, and then it's all about how the team responds. Oh, and I haven't checked lately, but I don't think those boots are part of the connector standard.

BMcRaeC@mastadon.social Nov 27, 2022

@VintageVeloce @gsuberland it is terrible design regardless. Having a reset button not recessed AND in a place where clumsy fingers inserting the cable could accidentally push the button is just poor conception.

Carl Liebold 🚀Nov 27, 2022

@Bmcraec @gsuberland
It probably happened because of the very limited front panel space. These things are designed to get as many ports as possible in the smallest possible space... leaving little room for stuff like switches. I agree it's a poor design...

Carl Liebold 🚀Nov 27, 2022

@Bmcraec @gsuberland
But my point was: don't blame the engineer. Typically the location of stuff on the front panel is a Product Manager decision and responsibility. And then a rigorous test department might have caught it as well. Actually, it's possible they did catch it, but figured no one would be so silly as to use a cable that could hit the switch like that. That would also be a PM call. lol

Wilfried Klaebe Jun 28

@VintageVeloce That button could probably have been further left, but then the cisco logo would have needed to be elsewhere...

@Bmcraec @gsuberland

Dr. Juande Santander-Vela Nov 26, 2022

@gsuberland I was going to say just that: that this is not an individual contributors fault, is the whole process that failed. #BlamelessCulture works better for avoiding these kind of things.

JJ Krawczyk Nov 26, 2022

@gsuberland Yeah how a QA process could miss this is hard to imagine.

Does „engineering team“ include the beta test team and everyone from managers to PR people who saw the product before it was delivered?

stevenray Jun 27

@gsuberland I mean, where was the user acceptance testing?

Non-existent, I guess.

@stevenray
The users did not accept.
@gsuberland

Json Doh Jun 28

@stevenray @gsuberland it wasn't acceptable those days to substitute an expensive QA department with free labor of your userbase

stevenray Jun 28

@jdoe @gsuberland yup. Guess they learned an expensive lesson. 🙄

@gsuberland o have a feeling the particular team in question was outsourced.

LisPi Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland Oh no, lol

Osaka Nov 26, 2022

@gsuberland
God do i feel sorry for that guy.

Eat the Rich Jefferson Nov 27, 2022

@gsuberland When was that? I was there from 1999-2014 (PGW-2200, BTS-10200, ISR-45xx) and never saw it... Ah, just saw the doc links- Catalyst a few years after that. Yikes. Up there with the Bevis and Butthead crash screen for sure.

Elenna Dec 1, 2022

@gsuberland that's gotta be embarrassing

laLinotte21 Oct 30, 2023

@gsuberland 338j ....

@gsuberland wow.

What model was that?

MA Nov 25, 2022

@thegpfury @gsuberland https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/field-notices/636/fn63697.html

Field Notice: FN - 63697 - Protective Boot on Certain Network Cables Might Push the Mode Button and Cause an Unexpected Reset on the 48-Port Models of Cisco Catalyst 3650 and 3850 Series Switches - Workaround Provided

Certain types of snagless Ethernet cables have protective boots that extend too far forward and above the plastic latching tab.When this type of cable is installed in Port 1 of any 48-port model of the Cisco Catalyst C3650 or C3850 Series switches, the boot might press and hold the Mode button, which invokes Express Setup and reboots the system. (Reference Figures 1 through 3 for illustrations of the issue.)Note: This type of boot-cable can partially obscure port LEDs, air vents, and USB ports.Figure 1. Problematic Cable before Complete InsertionFigure 2. Problematic Cable Completely InsertedFigure 3. Problematic Cable Completely Inserted (side view)

Cisco

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 25, 2022

@13ma1 @thegpfury also: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/support/docs/field-notices/637/fn63722.html

Field Notice: FN - 63722 - Protective Boot on Certain Network Cables Might Push the Mode Button and Cause an Unexpected Reset on the 48-Port Models of Cisco Catalyst 3560X and 3750X Series Switches - Workaround Provided

Certain types of snagless Ethernet cables have protective boots that extend too far forward and above the plastic latching tab.When this type of cable is installed in Port 1 of any 48-port model of the Cisco Catalyst C3560X or C3750X Series switches, the boot might press and hold the Mode button, which invokes Express Setup and reboots the system. (Reference Figures 1 through 3 for illustrations of the issue.)Note: This type of boot-cable can partially obscure port LEDs, air vents, and USB ports.Figure 1. Problematic Cable before Complete InsertionFigure 2. Problematic Cable Completely InsertedFigure 3. Problematic Cable Completely Inserted (side view)

Cisco

@gsuberland @13ma1 @thegpfury

Just imagine the person who had to write this:

"Workaround/Solution
There are three options used in order to address this problem:

* Use a snagless cable with a less-pronounced boot in Port 1.
* Trim the boot on the cable that is installed in Port 1.
...
"

John Cas Nov 26, 2022

@13ma1 @thegpfury @mrgl @gsuberland file the reset switch back so it no longer protrudes and then cover it with tape.

@moresunshine @13ma1 @thegpfury @mrgl @gsuberland Option 4. Place a rj45 port blocker so no one uses this port ever. 😂

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 26, 2022

@thefern inb4 the port blocker comes with a protective boot

Tom Andrews Nov 26, 2022

@gsuberland @thefern 😂

Deus Figendi.jwd Nov 27, 2022

@0bj3ctivity @gsuberland @thefern

5. deactivate Port 1 in Software
6. deactivate mode-Button-Reset-Function as long as Port 1 is used (and plz. write it into the manual XD)

Interiorce Nov 26, 2022

@thefern lol if i paid $1500 for a 48-port switch, i would want to use all the 48 ports lol

@mrgl @gsuberland @13ma1 definitely involved a drink or two

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 25, 2022

@thegpfury 3650, 3650X, 3850, 3850X, and possibly a few others. It resulted in two separate recalls.

Dustin [BusySignal-KE2EFX]Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland what model / line was replaced or what was the true fix ?

I always struggle to believe that this was missed - and more - it was someone meeting a deadline and not delaying something...

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 25, 2022

@dustinfinn 48P models of 3650, 3650X, 3850, 3850X, and a few others.

Field Notices were issued to warn customers about the problem and provide workarounds (use a less pronounced boot, cut the boot back, or modify settings to disable the button). It wasn't a mandatory recall like you'd get with a safety issue; it's more like "grounds for RMA".

Mathias ❄️🐺🐶 is wrathly

@gsuberland Absolutely incredible.

Adultxtraffic.com Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland let's give more credit to every person from the drawing board to quality control who saw this product and let it out the door. So many eyes, so many chances to stop it lol

Em McDonald 🏳️‍⚧️Nov 25, 2022

@Adultxtraffic @gsuberland So much this. Sure, it's a big fuckup by the designer, but fuckups happen every day. We don't see most of them because of institutional process to catch and fix them.

Timon 🛠Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland lol how did that pass QA tho
It's one thing to design a brain fart, another to actually qualify and mass manufacture it.

Graham Sutherland / Polynomial Nov 25, 2022

@timonsku I should've really said "design team" not "design engineer" - this was definitely a culmination of errors involving people and processes.

Kit Bashir Nov 25, 2022

@timonsku @gsuberland this happened because all the cabling available to devs and QA is shitty old bootless RJs with the retaining clip snapped off.

Timon 🛠Nov 25, 2022

@Unixbigot @gsuberland Even with that condition, the placement of both those USB ports is very questionable even without the hood on the cable that would cause issues.
If they considered hoods but not as long as the help article suggests, that makes it even more bizarre. You can read half the status lights or use the USB connectors or reach the button properly without unplugging cables.

Timon 🛠Nov 25, 2022

@Unixbigot @gsuberland *can't

Kit Bashir Nov 25, 2022

@timonsku @gsuberland I think it’s actually illegal to put thought into the placement of USB ports.

asymetricjockey Apr 18, 2023

@Unixbigot @timonsku @gsuberland @PhilRandal There are retaining clips?Huh? who knew? 😆

Eddie Roosenmaallen Nov 26, 2022

@timonsku @gsuberland
The way I heard the story, the machine that passed QA was a little different, then they got a last minute directive from the Branding Team on where the logo had to be.
That required moving the reset button, but "it's just moving the logo, not an engineering change" so they skipped the proper QA cycle and made history.

rag. Gustavino Bevilacqua Nov 26, 2022

@silvermoon82 @timonsku @gsuberland

Branding teams and marketing teams must not be allowed to work inside the shipping box: they must be limited to fancy packaging (and sometimes they even mess with that).

HRH ginsterbusch Nov 26, 2022

@silvermoon82
yes, that sounds so much like pretty lil "designer" brain, it hurts. Fremdschämen is a thing.
@timonsku @gsuberland

Daniel Brockman Nov 26, 2022

@timonsku My experience of silicon valley is They’ve mastered the art of inadvertently overlooking bugs in the product that everyone else sees unavoidably. Lincoln Spector wrote in the late 1970s of the cleverly designed Seppuku Mark 3 keyboard. To save precious space, the Mark 3 had the reset button adjacent to the backspace key. @gsuberland

Samuel Kramann 🇺🇦

@gsuberland 🤣👍made my day

Thank you for sharing❗️

Linh Pham Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland A reset is a form of a protective boot, right? 🙃

@gsuberland
DAAAAANG! :o

Blauer🎩🕹️ Klabauter Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland
"design engineer"

InstantArcade Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland this reminds me of the server case we had that had the entire top front as a very light touch power button.

We got a lot of calls about the server being down because there was a shelf behind it and people would accidentally turn it off when reaching for something.

0ddj0bb Is At Cyphercon Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland psh just cut the boot off.

AlisonW ♿🏳️‍🌈♾️Nov 25, 2022

@gsuberland
Ports available = Ports visible - 1

Who me?Nov 26, 2022

@gsuberland
I'll see your RJ245 and raise you a $125 million Mars Climate Orbiter .
Lost because nobody converted from Imperial to metric

@gsuberland oh noooooooooo