Computer reseller pilot fish gets a call one morning from the IT director at a nearby public school system. The problem: Every PC in one school's computer lab has gone silent.

"In the lab, the students could listen to a specific application," says fish. "All the desktop computers fed into external speakers. There was no sound coming from the speakers.

"I asked the IT director if he'd checked all the connections. He assured me he had.

"I made the 45-minute trip to the school, and he showed me the problem. I noticed that all of the external speakers were getting their power from some daisy-chained power strips. I also noticed that the first one was turned off.

To read this article in full, please click here