A few times a year I get called to investigate the lack of network connectivity to one or more scales in the deli department of a grocery or big-box store. Sometimes it's the NIC in the scale, or the wall jack, that's at fault. But sometimes the cable analysis says that the fault is at a distance that puts it under the display case. It's not fun to lie on the slimy deli floor, remove the kickplate, and reach in where the pressure washer kicked the crud that it washed off the floor last night, to find and correct a cable fault. Sometimes it's an old jack and plug that someone put in to extend the cable to a new location. Electrons eventually take a dislike to the green crud that forms in such environments.
Another source of joy are C*sco WAPs which, when installed with the writing right-side-up, have the LAN connectors facing up. . . ready to collect any moisture that runs down the patch cord due to roof leaks, condensation, wash-down, etc. Usually they just turn green, but apparently there's enough energy available from PoE to turn things black sometimes.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
