Tech, Tools, and Tips!
- Adrian Mallett
- May 7
- 4 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
As a ROV Pilot Technician we not only have to pilot ROVs we have to repair and maintain them. If you ever have to go to an interview outside of the ROV field the interviewer's mind is blown on the task we have to perform. They are dumbfounded after you finish telling them that you can troubleshoot a node/subsea computer, terminate fiber optics, change out a hydraulic motor and that's in the pouring down rain in 30 degree weather under a tarp, we install and operate audio/video equipment including DVR with a RAID setup, can frankenfix just about any type of communication adapter, plumb up hydraulic lines from valve packs to numerous subsea tools, etc... And that ain't even the tip of the iceberg what we can do! We are mechanics, electricians, plumbers, IT techs, secretaries, inventory clerks, counselors, photographers, riggers, janitors, fabricators, and sometimes even cooks when the vessels or installations are crewed down. The guys I have worked with over the years would blown your mind on the things they can accomplish.
*Remember to bring pictures and videos to an interview because most of the interviewers don't understand or in disbelief. You have to remind them that it's a remotely operated vehicle - keyword: remotely, we don't go subsea with it! *
Moving along to the topic of the blog. Technology. Most of us ROV guys love technology so I figured I'd do a blog about gadgets, gear, software, and whatever has to do with technology.
May 15, 2025 - A few Command line tools to help troubleshoot your computer network connectivity!
IPCONFIG, PING, and TRACERT
The ipconfig command in Windows displays and manages the IP addressing information for each network adapter on your system. It's a crucial tool for troubleshooting network connectivity issues.
Go ahead and open the command prompt/command line by typing CMD in the search box to the right of the windows logo. Type ipconfig and press enter. Look for the IPv4 address.........192.168.#.# This is your device's IP address. Now look a little lower at Default Gateway.........192.168.#.# This is your router's IP address. (also usually your wireless access point). Leave your command line window open so we can test connectivity from you device to your router.
The PING command! The PING command is a fundamental network diagnostic tool that verifies connectivity between two devices by sending small data packets called "echo request" and waiting for a response ("echo reply").
Alright, go ahead and type PING 192.168.#.# (whatever your gateway IP address is) and hit Enter. If you know your computer was connected to the router it should show 0% loss and the time it took to get to your router and back to your computer in milliseconds. The minimum time, the maximum time, and the average time. Now let's check for connectivity outside of your network. PING 8.8.8.8 which is one of Google's network IP addresses. If you have 0% loss that means success, you have connectivity all the way to Google wherever they are located. You can also see the time it took to get to Google. Checking the time it takes to get from point A to point B helps you know if you have an issue in your network or outside your network.
The TRACERT/TRACEROUTE command! The traceroute command is a network diagnostic tool that maps the path a data packet takes from your computer to a destination, revealing each hop (routers) along the way. It's commonly used to troubleshoot network connectivity issues by identifying potential points of delay or packet loss.
Go ahead type TRACERT 8.8.8.8 and hit enter. You can see each hop (router) it went through in order to get from your computer to Google's network. If your network is working slow you might see that it's actually your ISP (Internet Service Provider) which usually is the next router after your gateway.
Go ahead and do a lil practice:
IPCONFIG (IP address information)
PING 192.168.#.# (your gateway) - inside your network
PING 8.8.8.8 (Google's IP address) - outside your network
TRACERT 8.8.8.8 (path of the routers it took to get to Google)
*Remember to notice the time it took to get from Point A to Point B
One more time. 3rd times a charm. You'll remember it for a day or 2.
IPCONFIG
PING 192.168.#.#
PING 8.8.8.8
TRACERT 8.8.8.8
*Now your a network connectivity guru. Go show somebody what you learned!
How to use the IPCONFIG command:
How to use the PING command:
How to use TRACERT/TRACEROUTE:
Bonus: type SYSTEMINFO in your command line and hit enter.
May 7, 2025 - The Insignia Dual Hard Drive Docking Station
I'm going to begin this blog with a handy little tool I use around the house. The Insignia Dual Hard Drive Docking Station. This gadget comes in handy if your hard disk drive in your computer is giving you error messages and making noises letting you know it's about to die. This device allows you to clone your drive to a brand new solid state drive or another disk drive, whatever floats your boat. I used software called 4DDiG Partition Manager to clone the HDD to the SSD. The instructions were on the Partition Managers website and it went easy as 1, 2, 3. The cloning process does take a hot minute depending on how much you have on your drive. So if you need a exact copy of a drive here is your tool.
If you have old computers around the house go ahead and pull the hard drives out and stick them in the docking station. Bam! You have access to old picture, videos, and documents you haven't seen in 10 years. It also has a USB 3.0 port on the back for quick transfer. And that's your tech tool of the day! Please leave comments if you use it. I'd like to know what other software that you may use with it. L8r!
Here is a video on how to use The Insignia Dual Hard Drive Docking Station:
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