Sometimes the best solutions come from thinking outside your job description.
About 10 years ago, I was in a technical management role at a mid-sized office when our internet went completely dark. No warning, no backup plan—just 20 people suddenly unable to work.
The Irony: While I was doing advanced technical work as a subcontractor for other companies through this organization, I wasn’t officially part of their IT department. But when crisis strikes, titles don’t matter—results do.
The Problem: Our MSP had configured an overkill SonicWall appliance before transitioning to an in-house IT department. The firewall failed, the MSP contact was gone, and the admin password? Lost to the void.
The Reality: Twenty employees. Zero internet. Business grinding to a halt.
The Solution: I wasn’t their IT guy, but compared to the advanced infrastructure work I was doing for other clients, this was networking 101. I told the team: “Find me a computer.” No dual NICs in sight, so I made a run to Best Buy for a USB network adapter. I had that machine running as a makeshift router/firewall and brought the office back online.
The Lesson: This incident exposed a critical gap—no redundancy, no backup connection, and over-reliance on a single point of failure. The temporary fix worked for weeks until we properly replaced it with a pfSense appliance and support contract (pretty sure it’s still running there today).
Key Takeaways: ✅ Always have a backup internet connection ✅ Document your credentials and keep them accessible ✅ Don’t over-engineer solutions when simpler options exist ✅ Sometimes you need someone who can MacGyver a solution in a crisis
Have you ever had to step outside your role to save the day? What was your “duct tape and determination” moment?